The Kokiri's Emerald
by The Ansembly
Summary: Deep in Hyrule's mysterious Eastern Forest, legends tell of a group of children living among the fairies under the protection of the King of the Woods. Yet contrary to how simple and sweet such a society might seem, the kokiri children are anything but innocent...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Hurry, Link! He's getting away!"

The boy named Link tried to run faster, but found that his added effort yielded no reward. Mido, the boy he was chasing, increased the distance between them until Link finally had to stop for respite. Mido walked back, short of breath himself, and held out an ocarina to his panting opponent.

"Here's your ocarina, Link."

"Thanks, Mido," Link replied, taking back his instrument.

"You're getting faster, you know," his rival added. "One of these days..."

Link sighed in despair. "But you're getting faster, too."

Mido grinned. "So what? You think that I, the Great Mido, would ever do less than my best? If you want the joy of surpassing me, you're just going to have to earn it."

Link sat down on the grass. "I guess I wouldn't want it any other way."

Mido crossed his arms, annoyance appearing in his features. "You _guess_? Where's your sense of pride? Where's your confidence?"

A green-haired girl ran up to the duo, beaming with satisfaction.

"Well done, you two! Every time, it gets harder to keep up!"

Mido waved a hand dismissively. "Not now, Saria. Me and Link are about to have a man-to-man talk."

"Oh, really?" Saria asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "About what?"

Mido planted his fists on his hips and took a wide stance. "Don't you remember what I always say? Real men keep their personal squabbles confidential."

Saria frowned. "So you were fighting again."

Mido lost his cool composure. "No, we weren't! I was just going to tell Link to be more confident!"

A girl with yellow hair approached the trio. "I guess you're not a real man yet, Mido."

Mido, realizing his mistake, flushed red and retorted, "If you don't have anything helpful to say, Fado, then you should just keep quiet!"

Fado feigned innocence. "I only want you to hold true to your word. What's so harmful about that?"

Mido folded his arms and gruffly turned away. "Nobody withholds information from Saria. You know that."

"Yeah," Link chimed in, with a twinkle in his eye. "It takes real _courage_ to hold your ground against Saria!"

"Or real _stupidity_ ," Mido returned. "It wasn't that big of a deal, anyways."

Saria stood half in awe, not sure whether she should appreciate this reputation or not.

"Sure, I don't mess around, but I don't think I'm mean. Am I?"

Link quickly reassured her, "No, you're not mean. You're just... scary."

Seeing her expression falling, he amended, "At times. Sometimes. At least _I_ think so?"

Mido rolled his eyes. "Where is your confidence, Link? Just say what you mean, and know what you mean. And, no, Saria. I don't think you're mean."

Seeing her relax in relief, he added, "Just scary."

* * *

Two identical red-haired girls called out from the fruit grove as Link, Mido, Saria, and Fado approached.

"Hey! Who won?"

"Did Link finally catch him?"

Mido patted Link on the back. "No, Remi. Of course the Great Mido got away again, but this kid may soon be able to outrun every other Kokiri in the forest!"

A chubby boy came out from the trees. "So Link lost again. You know, Link, if Mido was a real bad guy, and your ocarina was a princess, he would have gotten away with her."

The other twin asked irritably, "Why a princess, Lado? Any other girl would be just as important!"

Lado countered, "Who would kidnap anyone other than a princess, Solmi?"

A trio of shaggy-haired boys appeared as if out of nowhere.

One asked, "Why would anyone kidnap anyone?"

The second added, "It hardly makes sense."

The third answered, "I can think of a few theories."

Fado groaned. "Dosol, Misol, and Fasol. So the Know-It-All Brothers have joined the party. How grand."

Saria gave Fado a disapproving look. "Be nice, Fado. They're allowed here."

Ignoring her, Fado addressed the three boys. "So why are you here? Don't you have any innocent creatures to dissect?"

Dosol replied, "We're done with dissections for now."

Misol continued, "We were interested in the race, too. After all, it isn't every day Link beats Mido in a competition."

Fasol snickered. "Actually, it isn't _any_ day. At least not yet. But that just makes it more interesting!"

Noticing Link's failing mood, Mido stepped forward and said, "How many times do I have to tell you? It isn't so much about winning as it is about doing the best you can. In that regard, Link did win today."

Mido smiled as Link's eyes brightened. "Besides, there isn't any shame in losing to one as quick as the Great Mido."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Link and Mido were sparring with wooden swords when Mido realized that Link was not focused on his training.

"Hey! Where's Link gone? Is he still in there?"

Link winced as Mido rapped his head with his sword.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Link yelped, ducking from the continued blows.

"It sure doesn't seem that way," Mido said, releasing another volley of jabs at his opponent.

Link tried to block Mido's attacks, but most of them found their mark.

"Stop! I want to ask you something!"

Mido hesitated, then answered, "A real enemy wouldn't give respite until defeat, so neither will I!"

So Link was forced to finish the battle before he was allowed to speak further. He lost miserably, displeasing Mido greatly.

"I don't believe you were doing your best, Link, so I say you lost that one both ways."

"Sorry," Link replied.

Mido crossed his arms. "Harrumph. Say sorry to yourself. It's you whom you sold short."

"Mido?" Link began. "I was thinking, and I think I know why the Great Deku Tree asked you to train me like this."

"And you're hoping I'll confirm it?" Mido finished. "I told you: I don't know why the Great Deku Tree ordered me to train you."

Link sighed in defeat and was turning away when Mido added, "But I guess it doesn't hurt to guess. What's your theory?"

Checking for eavesdroppers first, Link leaned in close and said, "I think the Great Deku Tree wants me to leave the forest."

"That's not what I thought," Mido answered in an equally secretive manner. "I thought the Great Deku Tree is losing his power, so he needs warriors to help protect the forest."

"Then why just us?" Link asked. "Why not everyone?"

"I don't know," Mido admitted. "But why would he want just you to leave?"

Link leaned back a little, a bitter taste entering his mouth. "I am the Ghost."

"Half-Ghost," Mido corrected. "You still have your child body. Now what does that have to do with it?"

Link needed time to recollect his thoughts. Speaking with Mido made his concerns seem less realistic.

"Well, according to the Know-It-All Brothers, every Kokiri has a child body and a tree body..."

Suddenly, Dosol, the eldest of the Know-It-All Brothers, rose up from the ground.

"Correct," Dosol answered. "And the deku tree body -also known as the home tree- is the Kokiri's real body. The child body is usually just a magical construct embodying the deku tree's soul, except in your case, Link. Now if a Kokiri travels too far from their home tree, the connection between the body and soul becomes stretched, and might possibly snap, leaving the Kokiri as a disembodied spirit. This normally doesn't happen within the forest, as the Great Deku Tree's power allows for extra elasticity in the binding cord. But outside the forest, it is a very real possibility. Assuming all this to be true, Link would be the prime candidate for leaving the forest because his connection with his home tree has already been severed."

Recovering from his initial shock, Mido shouted, "So you _were_ listening, all this time!"

"Correct," Dosol answered. "We Know-It-All Brothers truly make an effort to... know it all."

"And speaking of ghosts," said Misol as he popped up behind Mido and Link. "We're headed out to the ruins to see if we can gather some information on the subject. Care to join us?"

* * *

Misol and a fairy led Mido and Link through the Lost Woods, with Dosol following close behind. Tangled tree branches blocked out what little sunlight was left in the day, making the fairy's radiance an invaluable source of light. The Lost Woods were as monotonous as they were ominous. One direction looked as promising as another, which wasn't saying much. And the Know-It-All Brothers considered it an objective fact that those who pass through this forbidden section of the forest sooner or later get the impression that someone is watching them.

Mido stirred up the courage to whisper to Dosol, "Where's Fasol?"

"He's gone ahead to set things up," Dosol answered in normal volume. "You don't have to whisper. The ghosts already know of our presence."

Chills went up Mido's and Link's spines.

"You know, this is a really stupid idea," Mido growled. "Did you even need us to come?"

Misol glanced back, hurt showing on his face.

"We just thought it would be nice to invite you guys. After all, we've heard you complain that we're too exclusionary for your taste."

"Just when did I say that?!" Mido asked.

Dosol replied, "It's been almost two months, so it's no surprise that you've forgotten."

Mido folded his arms and muttered, "In two months, one would think you could have chosen a safer project to invite us to."

Link stopped. "Wait. How dangerous is this going to be? I've already lost my tree body. I can't afford to lose my child body."

Misol and Dosol exchanged a look.

Misol answered, "The ghost we spoke to said he wouldn't reveal himself unless we brought you along. We don't know what he wants from you, Link, but from our interaction, we have concluded that he means you no harm."

Link and Mido were shocked.

Mido stepped between the Brothers and Link. "No way am I allowing you to go through with this! Isn't it obvious what the ghost wants?"

The brothers exchanged another look. "No, actually. It isn't."

"He's the Half-Ghost!" Mido yelled, pointing at Link. "Surely your friend thinks it's unnatural, and wants to make Link a full ghost!"

Dosol raised an eyebrow. "Or he thinks it's interesting, and simply wants to study Link. Just as we want to study him."

Mido shook his head in disgust. "I can't believe you would be willing to hand Link over to a stranger without even telling him."

Stung to the heart, the two brothers hung their heads in shame.

The fairy spoke. "He's not a stranger."

Thoroughly surprised, the four boys gazed in awe at their secretive travelling companion.

"You know the ghost, Gator?"

Gator crossed his tiny arms. "After working so long with the Know-It-All Brothers, you think I wouldn't do a little data gathering of my own? I know who the ghost is, and I'm not telling any of you. But I can assure you he means Link no harm."

Link folded his hands behind his head in a gesture of confidence. "Well, I'm convinced."

Mido scratched his head and sighed. "I guess I am too."

Link copied Mido's usual pose with fists on hips and feet planted wide. "You _guess_? Where's your confidence?"

Misol grinned. "Then let's go!"

As they hurried to meet their appointment, Dosol whispered to Gator, "We'll talk about these secrets of yours later."

Gator smiled innocently.

"What secrets?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Do you hear that?"

The four boys stood still to listen. As if in response, the noises of the Lost Woods dimmed to silence. Then, even from a distance, they could make out a familiar melody on the wind.

Link's pointed ears perked at the sound. "That's Saria's song!"

Misol turned to Dosol. "It sounds like she's at the appointed meeting place. I hope she hasn't scared the ghost away."

Making their way through the crowding branches in the misty darkness, they were all at least partially glad that a familiar face would be awaiting them at their destination.

Finally, they reached the clearing. It was boxed in on all sides by aging castle walls, one of which held the gate they had entered through. The wall opposite to the entrance held a giant door into impenetrable shadow, preceded by a broken stone staircase. The two remaining walls were partially eclipsed by large hedges that even now spoke of their previously well-trimmed forms.

There, on the same tree stump as usual, was their good friend Saria playing her ocarina. Even though Link had never before been in the Sacred Meadow at night, seeing her sitting in such a casual manner made moonlight seem as bright as sunlight.

Misol stepped forward. "Hey, Saria! Why are you out here alone in the middle of the night?"

Saria raised an eyebrow, subtly indicating that he should remember her policy regarding the performance of music. She never left a song incomplete, especially when there was an audience.

Fasol gave Misol a shove. " _Alone_? Did you really forget about your own brother?"

"Well, I didn't see you," Misol explained. "So I assumed Saria sent you away or something. Where were you?"

"Fasol was accompanying me while I checked the perimeter," a new fairy answered.

Gator spun towards the familiar voice. "You're also here, Navi?"

"Of course," Navi replied. "It's dangerous to have dealings with spirits. You've got to have at least one exorcist at the ready."

Gator shrugged. "That won't be necessary this time. I know the ghost can be trusted. Besides, don't you think you're a little overqualified?"

Navi smirked. "Is that a compliment, dear brother?"

Saria finished her song, put her ocarina in her lap, and said, "We've been waiting for you."

Misol groaned. "How did you find out? Whatever happened to the virtue of secrecy?"

Feeling the piercing gazes of Mido and Link on his back, he amended, "I mean, why didn't _I_ think of inviting you? For a second back there, I thought Link wasn't going to come. You would've given him confidence for sure."

Saria's expression remained level. "I guess you didn't _invite_ me because you thought I would have said this is too dangerous. And you would have been right. However, the ghost appeared to me, convinced me that he could be trusted, and asked that I remain both to reassure Link and to play music while we waited."

Link tried to peer through the shadows. "Where is he? Is he here?"

Navi flew to the open doors of the ruined castle. "He's up here!"

Link approached the gaping hole in the wall. The others stayed where they were.

There, in the light of the fairy's glow, lay a suit of armor leaning against the stone doorway. Upon closer analysis, Link could see nothing connecting the gauntlets and boots to the main body.

Then the helmet turned towards him, revealing a human skull still encased within. One eye socket glimmered dimly with a red light.

Slowly, the mysterious entity stood, stepped forward, and toppled down the broken stairs in a startling clatter of metal and bones.

The Know-It-All Brothers couldn't help but snicker at the clumsy display. Mido crossed his arms tightly, disturbed at such a state of disrepair. Saria ran to the pile of ruin and began to help the ancient soldier put himself back together.

Cautiously, Link approached and lent a hand in the endeavor. He discovered that the missing arm and leg bones had been stored within the giant gloves and boots themselves. Mido also approached, but couldn't bring himself to touch those strange white rods, especially with that depressing red eye watching. The Know-It-All Brothers, sensing a chance to show off a little, took over the reconstruction process, even going as far as to call the bones by name as they worked.

Sitting up, the soldier spoke. "My thanks to you all. I would have asked you to join me within the castle where the magic that binds me together is stronger, except I am aware that you are expressly forbidden from doing so. Also, these stairs are terribly unsafe for anyone's use, living or dead."

Saria smiled at his humor, then gestured towards Link. "Here is the one you asked to see."

The skeleton leaned closer to Link as if to get a better look at the boy. His fleshless face manifested no feelings, but there was something about his glowing eye which communicated to Link a range of emotions.

Fear and hope. Pride and concern. Love and anger. All of these and more could be found within the glint of his eye.

"Tell me, child. Have you ever killed something intentionally?"

"Intentionally?" Link repeated, wanting to back away, yet kept captivated by curiosity and an undeniable sense of importance.

"Intentionally," the ghost confirmed.

Link remembered something, gathered his courage, and confessed.

"I killed some weeds once. They were choking some other plants, so I tried to relocate them, but I couldn't find a place to replant them, so I let them die."

A dead silence followed.

The soldier's head tilted as though he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard.

Saria explained, "Sir, the Great Deku Tree has taught us that life is sacred, and death should be avoided wherever possible. Even when it comes to weeds."

Link continued, "I also killed a spider. It just jumped out, and-"

"That's quite enough," the spirit interrupted. "It is a noble thing to value life in all its forms. Truly, what do men fight for other than the preservation of lives?"

The ghost sighed, memories of past days haunting his heart. "Still, times come when one must choose one life above another. Will you save the weeds, or the plants that are being choked by the weeds? Relocation isn't always an option."

Link frowned. "I suppose if there is no alternative... I'd let the weeds die."

The skeleton placed a hand on Link's shoulder, making sure he had his full attention.

"The weeds that I speak of do not die if you leave them out in the sun. No. They find new plants to steal sustenance from, sometimes travelling great distances to do so. They can learn from their past failures and prepare against you in the future. These weeds are able and willing to murder you and anyone associated with you. Tell me, child. Are you willing to kill?"

After a moment of hesitation, Link nodded slowly.

"If I have no better choice."

* * *

As promised, the ghost allowed the Know-It-All Brothers to study him. Link had been watching silently, but his questions demanded answers.

"Why? Why did you ask to see me specifically? Why did you ask me if I'm willing to kill? What do you want from me?!"

The ghost gazed evenly at the boy with his one eye. "Here's a better question: What do you want for others?"

Knocking away the twentieth swab presented to him, the old soldier stood up, drew a dagger from his boot, and presented it to Link.

"Weeds will grow regardless of your wishes. If you truly believe life is sacred, you should patrol the garden regularly."

Link politely accepted the small sword and placed it in his belt. The ghost nodded his approval and turned to face the others.

"I apologize for appearing at such a late hour. I shall depart soon, and I doubt we shall meet again. As it is, I wish to convey one last lesson from my life."

Turning back towards Link, he said, "Every life is worth the effort."

Link shuddered at the quality of his sincerity.

As the skeleton clattered and clanked his way back up the broken steps, Mido had to take this last chance.

"Who were you?"

The soldier paused, sighed, and disappeared into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I'm not going to tell you, so stop asking already!"

Gator retreated higher into the warm afternoon sky. Dosol and Fasol pleaded at him with their eyes. Misol loaded and fired a net at him. The fairy squeaked as the net brought him level with the curiosity-crazed Know-It-All Brothers.

Fasol thrust a data sheet towards his captured friend.

"The information we gathered last night indicates that the ghost was at least five hundred years old!"

Gator turned up his nose haughtily. "Yeah? So?"

"So," Dosol answered, "It means we have no way of discerning his identity on our own. We need to ask someone who already knows."

"So spill it!" Misol commanded. "If you won't tell us yourself, then tell us how you found out!"

"I was in the right place at the right time, okay?" Gator pouted. "They knew I was there, and they made me promise not to tell anyone. And a fairy always keeps his promises!"

At this, the brothers relented. They released Gator and started walking away.

Then Fasol remembered, "Saria knew who the ghost was."

"I didn't say that I knew his identity," Saria stated as she walked past them. "I said the ghost convinced me he could be trusted."

She winced and walked faster as a growing wail from the three boys filled the forest.

Saria found Link, Mido, and Lado at the wall of slate. They had put down their chalk to see where that alarming cry was coming from.

"Don't worry," Saria assured them. "It's just Dosol, Misol, and Fasol."

"Wow," Mido gaped. "I haven't heard anything like this since we told them they weren't allowed to enter the castle ruins."

"It's of the same breed," Saria noted.

Lado nodded sagely. "It's because no one will tell them who the ghost was, isn't it? Mido and Link were complaining about the same thing just a moment ago."

Mido spat. "I wasn't complaining! I was just... I was just expressing my displeasure. That's all."

Lado shrugged. "At least you got to see the ghost. Nobody invited me."

Link sympathized with the chubby boy. "Well, that's why we're trying our best to draw him for you. The Know-It-All Brothers wanted to keep the meeting secret, and I had no reason to disagree with them."

Lado pondered this as Link and Mido picked up their chalk pieces and continued to draw.

"You know, I did say drawing skills could one day prove important."

Link didn't pause in his work as he replied, "You said that it would be important if I lost my voice. How often does that happen?"

"It's called intuition," Lado declared. "It doesn't matter so much if the reasoning is great, so long as it prepares you for a real eventuality."

"If you say so," Mido muttered.

Saria frowned. "Is something wrong, Mido?"

Mido stopped and turned. "What? No. Nothing's wrong. I... I just stayed up too late last night. I should be fine by tomorrow..."

Saria folded her arms. "If you say so..."

Mido stared deeply at his own rendering of the skeleton knight. He put down his chalk and dusted off his hands.

"Can we continue this later? I'm in the mood for a little music."

* * *

Back at the Sacred Meadow, Link put down his ocarina after he and Saria finished a duet.

"I can hardly believe we met an actual ghost last night. It seems like it was just a dream."

Mido fingered his own ocarina. "It wasn't such a big deal for me. I hang out with a ghost every day."

A look of concern was showing on Saria's face. "Are you sure you're alright? You asked to play music, but you've hardly played a note."

Mido stuffed his instrument in his pocket. "I said I wanted to listen to music. I didn't say I wanted to play music. And will you stop asking me if I'm okay? You're starting to annoy me."

Saria stood up. "Now I know something's wrong. What is it?"

Mido glared up at her, then forced himself to divert his eyes.

"I don't know."

Saria placed her fists on her hips. "Then figure it out. You're the Great Mido, aren't you?"

Mido leaned back, weary in more ways than one.

"Maybe I'm not."

Saria grabbed his shoulders and made him look her in the eyes.

"You _are_ Mido. Now tell me what is going on."

The boy groaned and shifted. "I guess the ghost affected me."

Saria glanced at Link's worried face, then asked, "In what way?"

Mido shrugged. "I don't care."

Saria's eyes widened in shock. "You don't care?!"

Startled, Mido jumped to attention. "I don't _know_! I meant to say that I don't _know_!"

Saria knelt in front of him. "Mido, I don't know what's going on either, but you're really scaring me."

The flustered boy stepped away from his two closest friends and stared into the black emptiness of the ruined castle.

"He was different, you know? He had strength. A strength I've never known."

Link responded, "His strength didn't involve being rude to others."

"I know! I know!" Mido shouted. "I can't explain it! Even though he was falling apart in every possible way, he was still strong! He was powerful!"

"That doesn't justify the attitude you've been displaying," Saria firmly stated.

Mido sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll try better in the future."

Saria placed a hand on his shoulder. "I forgive you."

Link patted his other shoulder. "I forgive you, too."

Mido smiled wanly. "Thank you. Thank you both."

* * *

As night fell, the three friends put away their instruments and began to head back into the Lost Woods. Link and Saria were engaged in conversation, so they didn't notice that Mido had suddenly fallen behind.

He was gazing intently into that mouth of a door leading into the forbidden ruins. There, in the shadow darker than night, he saw a single glowing red eye.

Mido considered the feeling that emanated from it.

It was not the eye of the skeleton from the night before.

It was different.

It was far more powerful.

It spoke.

"Mido. Come back here tonight. There is something we must discuss."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Link was sleeping next to a large round tree that foggy morning. The tree was plainly in the likeness of Mido. Then Mido himself appeared.

"What are you doing here?!"

Link opened his eyes, stretched, and sat up.

"Oh. Hey, Mido."

Arms crossed, toe tapping in annoyance, Mido repeated, "What are you doing sleeping next to my home tree?!"

Link blinked. "Uh... Sleeping?"

Mido leaned in close and scowled. "So you think you can just sleep wherever you like? Is that it?!"

Link stood up and dusted himself off. "Sorry. You haven't complained about this before."

Mido looked away and huffed. "Well, I'm complaining now."

Link blinked. "Why?"

Mido growled. " _Why_?!"

Link shrugged. "Why?"

Mido crossed his arms more tightly, his toe tapping faster than before. "Because... Because... _Because_... Oh, _whatever!_ "

Mido turned and ran into the fog. Link began to chase him, yelling, "Wait!" But he was already gone.

* * *

In the Kokiri Forest, there were two streams that flowed out from the Lost Woods. One stream was cold and clear, and good for drinking. The kokiri had decided to plant their vegetables along its length. The other stream was warm and clouded, and flowed through the orchard. The humidity from the warm stream and the coolness of the other caused the Kokiri Forest to be misty most every morning.

While the cold stream entered the forest on a gliding slope, the warm stream dropped in as a waterfall of notable strength. This waterfall was located in a distinct alcove eroded into the face of the wall of slate. A waist-deep pool beneath the waterfall and a curtain of vines across the entrance to the alcove made this the ideal place to take a bath.

Link was bathing here this morning with his head under the pounding torrent when he noticed the vine wall moving.

Heart suddenly pounding, he yelled, "I'm in here!"

There was one last quick movement, then the vines became still. Link sighed with relief. If the vine wall had not been so notoriously difficult to navigate, he would have been too late.

Fado's voice bellowed from the other side.

"Why didn't you say something?! I asked three times!"

Link sank down, having already apologized more times than he liked to in one day.

"Sorry. I couldn't hear you because of the waterfall."

"Well, finish already! You went in there more than an hour ago!"

Link began scrubbing, then asked, "Fado? Is Mido out there?"

After a moment, she answered, "No. Why'd you ask?"

Link hesitated. "Haven't you noticed that Mido's been acting strange lately?"

"... Maybe. Why're you asking me?"

"I was thinking," Link ventured, "that maybe you could reach him. He's been so irritated lately, I think your no-nonsense attitude might help him get things sorted out."

After another pause, Fado replied, "Okay. I'll do that."

"Thank you," Link said.

Fado finished, " _After_ I take a bath."

* * *

That evening, as the kokiri were tending to the plants, concerns began to grow.

"Where are Fado and Mido? They've been missing all day!"

"Yeah. Mido never shirks his duties."

"And Fado always takes time to care for the forest!"

"Where do you think they've disappeared to?"

"Saria is coming! Let's ask her!"

Surrounded by a mob of worried expressions, Saria had to step back.

"Mido and Fado are missing? They weren't at the Sacred Meadow. I just came from there."

A young fairy on Saria's shoulder guessed, "Maybe they've gone to see the Great Deku Tree."

"That's unlikely, Musi," Dosol replied. "To see the Great Deku Tree, the Great Deku Tree himself must first invite them. It's far more likely they're somewhere in the Lost Woods."

Remi frowned at Dosol. "You're a Know-It-All Brother. Why don't you _know_ where they are?"

Dosol frowned back. "I'm not truly omniscient, Remi. We Know-It-All Brothers deal more in unchanging science than in current events."

Solmi looked around. "Where are Misol and Fasol?"

Dosol answered with immeasurable patience, "They're looking for Mido and Fado."

Musi mused, "Misol and Fasol are looking for Mido and Fado. Hm. Poetic."

Dosol shut his eyes and covered his ears. Remi saw this and said, "Well, now you've done it, Musi."

Musi squeaked indignantly. "It wasn't _that_ bad!"

"Shh!" Dosol hissed. "I'm listening. Apparently Fasol has found some evidence indicating that Mido and Fado have entered the forbidden ruins."

A collective gasp arose from the others.

"Should we tell the Great Deku Tree?" Solmi asked.

"Do you think he already knows?" Remi wondered.

" _Who_ already knows _what_?" demanded Mido as he and Fado approached the surprised group.

There was a definite change in his demeanor. Every muscle in his body was tense, and the eyes that once held encouragement now only held the likeness of contempt. Fado was also changed. Her normally lenient posture was replaced with a sort of strained arrogance.

"Mido?" Lado spoke, trembling. "You don't look so good."

"Shut up!" Mido yelled. "Who asked for _your_ input?"

Saria stepped between the two boys and gave Mido a questioning look. Mido scowled and turned away.

Then, with sudden boldness, he glared a challenge at her.

"What? Do you have a problem with me?"

Saria was speechless. Mido's response was completely intentional, without the slightest hint of confusion or hesitation.

Then Saria underwent a change of her own.

"No, I don't have a problem with you," she said quietly. "Just your attitude."

Mido smirked with Fado. "Well, guess what. If you have a problem with my attitude, then you have a problem with me."

Saria closed her eyes serenely. "Then I guess I do have a problem with you."

In an instant she had knocked both Mido and Fado to the ground.

Mido recovered quickly and swiped Saria's feet from under her. He placed a foot on her neck to keep her from getting up.

Link tackled Mido and pinned his wrists to the ground.

Mido scoffed, "Is that all?! Come on, you wimp!"

Rolling him off first, Mido punched Link in the face and proceeded to kick him while he was down.

Saria moved to help Link, but Fado tripped her and put her in a headlock.

Then the other kokiri involved themselves.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

" _She_ started it!"

Each kokiri had been ordered to stand before the Great Deku Tree that evening to give their account of the brawl that had occurred just an hour earlier.

The Great Deku Tree, like every other deku tree, had a humanoid form, with the shoulders disappearing beneath the ground and the head crowned with branches. The Great Deku Tree's neck was obscured by a thick beard of roots, and his deep brown eyes were shaded by long, heavy eyebrows. Standing in front of the Great Deku Tree was a tall man of the same visage: his human body.

Mido continued, "I merely asked, 'Who already knows about what?' and she hit me!"

The Great Deku Tree was not deceived.

"As I recall, you also said, 'Shut up. Who asked for your input?'"

"That's because Lado insulted me!" Mido claimed. "He said I looked bad!"

The Great Deku Tree groaned.

"If you had any sense of discernment, you would have recognized that he was simply concerned for your well-being."

Mido didn't reply.

"Mido," the Great Deku Tree declared, "I love you deeply, but if you continue to behave cruelly towards your brother and sister kokiri, there must be consequences. Do you recognize this?"

With a soul-felt frown, Mido stated, "I recognize it."

* * *

As Mido walked past, Saria asked in a still loving voice, "How are you feeling, Mido?"

Fado interrupted.

"Nobody talks to the Great Mido unless the Great Mido has spoken to them first."

Mido paused, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"Hey, why not? If that rule applies to the Great Deku Tree, why shouldn't it apply to me, too?"

"Because unlike the Great Deku Tree, you've thrown away your love," Remi answered, tending to a bloodied knee.

Link rubbed a swollen cheek and glowered at Fado.

"I asked you this morning to help Mido feel better, but you've only made things worse!"

Fado shrugged and grinned, revealing a few missing teeth.

"I'm making _me_ feel better. What's wrong with that?"

Musi flew down and poked Fado's nose. "What you've been doing _shouldn't_ make you feel better. Good deeds deserve good feelings, and bad deeds deserve bad feelings."

Fado swatted the fairy away. "Well, maybe I'm just different."

"You weren't 'different' this morning," Link remarked.

"What can we say?" Mido smirked. "Our lives are taking new directions, and there's nothing you can do about it."

As Mido and Fado walked away, Link asked Saria, "What do you think has gotten into them?"

"I don't know," Saria said. "Perhaps demons."

* * *

"Thank you for coming, Navi," Saria said.

Saria, Navi, and Link had decided to meet at Mido's home tree in the early morning while Mido was busy elsewhere.

"Thank you for thanking me," Navi replied. "I've never dealt with a real possession before, so this may be tricky."

Link asked, "Do you intend to test his tree body first, or his child body?"

"The child body," Navi decided. "The tree body isn't going anywhere, but the child body might try to run and hide. I'll test his child body before he knows what's happening."

"That would have been a great plan," Mido interrupted. "If only you had kept it secret from me."

The trio looked up and saw Mido perching on his own tree's head.

Saria began, "Mido! We're-"

Then Navi darted up and flew straight inside his chest.

It was a bloodless entry, but Mido squirmed and writhed as though she was tearing him apart from the inside.

" _GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!_ "

Then he fell from the tree and landed face down between Saria and Link.

Link dropped next to his fallen friend and shook him frantically.

"Mido! _MIDO! WAKE UP! Navi! What did you do?!_ "

Link's eyes pleaded to Saria for her to do something. Anything.

Saria knelt down next to Mido's body, felt his pulse, and began pressing on his chest rhythmically.

Just as she was about to blow air into his lungs, Mido's voice came out from nowhere.

"You don't have to play this _game_ anymore, Saria."

Link was confused, and his body language showed it.

Mido's voice resounded again. "Bwahahaha! You should see the look on your face! It's priceless! Isn't anyone going to tell this twerp what's going on?!"

Link growled. "You're the demon, aren't you?!"

This time, Mido's tree body spoke. Its voice was much deeper and was reminiscent of a woodwind instrument.

"There is no demon in me. I'm just playing a game with you. See, that body you're cradling there is but a puppet. Every child body is."

Suddenly the turf rose up and swallowed Mido's child body.

Mido's tree opened its mouth, and a new child version of Mido crawled out. He continued speaking using the child form.

"Puppets are expendable. Replaceable. Except in your case. You only have that one body, and that's it. So you see, Link, we _true_ kokiri kept our ability to remake ourselves secret from you so you wouldn't get _jealous_."

Link faced Saria. "Is that true?"

Saria nodded, seeing no point in deceiving him any further.

Link stared hard at the ground that had just swallowed his friend. "How many other secrets have been kept from me?"

"Well," Mido began. "You never really had a chance at beating me in a race. My puppet's energy is unlimited. And the Know-It-Alls pay fairies and picori to spy for them. And Lado doesn't really-"

" _ENOUGH!_ " Link shouted.

Mido shrugged. "You asked." Then he began to walk away as casually as if he hadn't just turned Link's world on its head.

"Wait," Saria said, a troubled tone in her voice. "Where's Navi?"

Mido stopped and frowned. "I don't know."

There was a stiff moment of tension.

Then the missing fairy was spat from the ground.

Link quickly scooped her up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Navi answered.

Mido sighed. Sensing that Saria interpreted it as a sigh of relief, Mido said, "Well, since you're just going to keep bothering me until you know for sure I'm not possessed, I guess I'll let you conduct your little test uninterrupted this time."

Without a word, Navi once again entered Mido's body. After a minute, she left the child body and entered the tree body. A minute after that, Navi landed on Saria's shoulder.

"He's not possessed."

Link and Saria were as perturbed as they were relieved.

"Not possessed?" Link asked. "Then what's his problem?"

Mido was gone from the scene. Navi hovered before the two children.

"From what I learned, I can say that much of his bad attitude comes from personal choice. However, when I first went in, I did sense another presence at work. After breaking the entity's influence over Mido, it tried to hide me away, but ultimately released me in fear of losing Mido's cooperation."

Saria gaped. "Are you saying he's made a deal with Ghirahim?!"

Navi looked at Mido's tree. "Probably not Ghirahim personally. But certainly someone who doesn't have his best interest at heart."

Link sat down, wearied by the news. "How could he? How could he be so foolish?"

Saria asked, "So what should we do?"

Navi shook her head sadly.

"Honestly, I don't know."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Gator said you're looking for me," Navi said as she landed on Link's shoulder.

Link nodded silently, watching Mido yell at one of the Know-It-All Brothers in the distance.

"I need your help," he stated finally.

Navi shook her head. "I already told you. He isn't possessed. And neither is Fado."

"I know that," Link moaned, actually preferring the idea of their behavior being someone else's fault. "That's not why I asked for you."

The fairy raised a tiny eyebrow. "What do you want me to do?"

Link turned his gaze into the Lost Woods.

"It all started when they entered the forbidden ruins. You said Mido made a deal with a demon, didn't you?"

"That's what I theorized based upon what I felt, but-"

Discerning Link's intent, Navi jumped off his shoulder, planted her feet firmly on the ground, and shouted, "No chance! I _refuse_ to go into the forbidden ruins!"

Link exhaled, disappointment apparent in his demeanor. "I had hoped you would have at least considered my idea."

Link began walking away. Navi flew after him.

"What's there to consider?" Navi asked. "Mido and Fado are acting out by their own will. Even if I was willing to disobey the Great Deku Tree, there would be no point!"

Link knelt next to a bush and uncovered at its root the sword the skeleton knight had given him.

"The one who gave me this sword said I should make sure no weeds threaten my garden."

Link swung the blade experimentally.

"A weed is growing in the forbidden ruins, and it has corrupted Mido and Fado. I will not allow it to corrupt anyone else."

Pursing her lips, Navi cast an apologetic glance in the direction of the Great Deku Tree.

"Well, if you put it that way..."

* * *

Link began to climb the broken stairs into the castle.

Navi flew in and out of the doorway nervously.

"Are you sure about this? The sun is setting. No one knows we're out here. Except maybe the Know-It-All Brothers. But they wouldn't be able to help us in time if- Well, if something bad happens. What if you get corrupted, too? What if I get imprisoned by the force that tried to trap me when I went inside Mido? What if you get killed?!"

Link dusted his knees off as he stood at the top of the stairs.

"Then we'll deal with that then. But I assure you, I won't allow myself to be corrupted."

Navi whimpered, "What if that's what Mido said?"

Link hesitated, looked back towards Kokiri Forest, then shook his head.

"What if defeating the demon will free Mido and Fado from its spell? What if we do nothing and more kokiri get corrupted? What then?"

Navi stopped her pacing. "You're right. I'm sorry for being so discouraging. Whoever has done this needs to be stopped. I'm with you all the way."

"I'm counting on it," Link answered as he stepped into the shadow.

* * *

Navi flew farther into the giant foyer, using the glow of her own body to light the way. She called back to the boy, "It appears there are at least three doors to choose from. Do you want to take the center path first? It seems the most official."

Link shrugged. "Sure."

The fairy's fingers twitched. "You don't have to be so nonchalant about it."

"It makes no difference," Link responded. "Any of these doors could lead the right way."

They took the center path. Walking down a long hall, Link peered into every dark doorway along its length.

"Do you think we might find the ghost from that night?"

"I hope so," Navi replied. "We could use his help."

Link squeezed the hilt of his sword.

"What if he's the demon?"

Navi stopped. With a shrug, she answered, "Then we'll deal with that then."

At the end of the hall, two great doors swung open. Link and Navi braced themselves. A single red light pierced the blackness. Its bouncing movement was accompanied by the jangling of armor and bones.

Navi shouted, "Identify yourself!"

"Me?" an unfamiliar voice rasped. A second red light appeared next to the first.

"I am a resident of this castle. You are not. The king of trees has forbidden fairies from intruding here. Yet you are here. Kokiri brats should be in their home trees at this hour. Yet you are not. Who are you two?"

Link raised his sword. "I am one who would fight for a friend's freedom."

The skeleton chuckled dryly. "And what friend would you be referring to? What freedom do you claim was taken?"

"Don't play games with us!" Navi yelled. "What have you done to Mido and Fado?!"

"I?" the skeleton asked in a taunting manner. "I have done nothing to them. Here's a better question: What have they done to themselves?"

Recognizing the reference, Link demanded, "Tell me what you know about the skeleton I spoke to a week ago!"

"Him? We put him where he belongs," came the reply.

"In the ground."

With a snarl, Link closed the distance between him and the antagonist. Navi made haste to catch up. Sparks were already flying by the time her light made clear the situation.

The skeleton was easily blocking Link's attacks with his shield. Shield, shoulder pads, and helmet alike were made of dark metal rimmed with red paint. The enemy's sword was completely red, and heavy blue gauntlets and boots protected his forearms and lower legs.

The skeleton pretended to yawn as Link tried again and again to break through his defenses. Navi stoked her courage and dove into the skull of the bony foe. The enemy cradled his head and fell to his knees. Taking the opportunity, Link decapitated him.

The body instantly fell apart. Navi emerged from the ruin unscathed. Link stepped over the pile and rolled the skull over with one foot.

Its eyes were no longer glowing.

Link sighed with relief. "I hope that finished it."

Navi frowned and said, "I wouldn't say our business here is finished quite yet. He said 'we.' That means he wasn't working alone."

Link began to continue forward, but Navi hovered in his way. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To find those others," Link said plainly, a little puzzled by Navi's behavior.

"Not without a shield!" Navi commanded. "That guy could have taken _your_ head off fifteen times!"

"He could have, couldn't he?" Link pondered as he wrapped his fingers around the rim of the skeleton's shield.

With great effort, Link hauled the giant disc up. He immediately put it back down on the ground.

"I can't carry that in battle. I can hardly carry it now."

Navi thought about the problem.

"Then we'll just have to find a different shield. I've heard that the bark of the Great Deku Tree is strong and lightweight."

Trying on the helmet, Link shook his head. The helmet spun loosely.

"But then we'll have to tell the Great Deku Tree that we came here. And that we intend to come here again."

"Honestly," Navi said, "He probably already knows we're here. He can see anywhere in the forest."

"If he can see anywhere," Link wondered, "Why hasn't he done anything about Mido and Fado? Surely he's seen how they've been acting."

"I don't know," Navi admitted. "This whole situation is just so strange."

Link sat down on the ground and stared at the lifeless skull.

"Do you think he told the truth?" Link asked, gesturing at the bones. "Do you think they killed the good skeleton warrior?"

"For the hundredth time," Navi sighed, "I don't know."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

As Link and Navi approached the Great Deku Tree's meadow, they discovered in great exasperation that Mido was guarding the only path.

Navi asked, "Isn't it Soldo's job to guard the Great Deku Tree?"

Link nodded. "It is, but lately Mido has been making a lot of strange demands, and refusing him can get to be a terrible hassle. Soldo is probably guarding the entrance to the woods instead."

Determined, Link and Navi approached the new guard. A mean grin crossed Mido's face.

"Now what do we have here?" the bully asked. "The boy without a tree, and the fairy who broke the rule. What's your business with the Great Deku Tree?"

Link growled, "Our names are _Link_ and _Navi_. And what do you have to say about breaking rules?"

"Plenty, _Mr. No Tree_ ," Mido smirked. "You're lucky I don't punish you for going where you don't belong!"

Expressing his disappointment to Navi, Link said, "I guess killing that monster didn't help him any."

Mido jumped. "WHAT?! You didn't kill the Tree of Evil, did you?!"

Link and Navi exchanged a look. Link asked, "What does it- Or rather, what _did_ the Tree of Evil look like?"

Mido's toe was tapping again. "You'd think a guy would know if he ran into a tree like _that_ ," he grumbled to no one in particular. "It's big, black, gnarly, and covered in blood!"

"Blood?!" Link repeated, deeply disturbed.

"That's right," Mido confirmed with derision. "Blood. Or at least it looks like blood. But at least I know now you haven't found it."

Navi crossed her arms. "Why do you care so much about that tree, anyways?"

"As if I'm going to tell _you_ ," Mido scoffed.

With a very intentional glare directed at both Link and Navi, he finished, "Just know this: If you kill that tree, I will hate you for the rest of my life. Mark my words!"

Link repressed a smile of hope as he replied, "I'll keep that in mind."

Navi ordered, "Let us through, Mido. We don't care that the Great Deku Tree didn't summon us. We've already broken one rule for our cause, and we're not afraid to break another!"

"Not a chance, rebels," Mido declared. "The Great Deku Tree isn't seeing anyone today, obedient or otherwise."

A long moment of tension followed.

Navi suddenly shrugged and said, "Fine. Have it your way."

"Huh?!"

Link and Mido gaped, surprised at her decision.

The fairy simply turned away and asked, "Are you coming, Link?"

Taking one last glance at his former friend, Link nodded and followed her away from Mido and the Great Deku Tree.

Once they were out of earshot, Link asked Navi, "Do you have a plan?"

"I certainly do," Navi answered, pleasing Link to no small degree. "First, we'll see if Sido has any deku tree bark in his storage shelter. If we don't find any there, we'll just have to make a shield out of something else. Then we'll look for the Tree of Evil."

* * *

Approaching the underground storage area, Navi and Link immediately noticed some unusual changes on the surface. The entrance normally had the appearance of an old shed. Now, not only was the exterior patched and cleaned up, it also boasted rather gaudy decorations. A red awning stretched forth from the new red roof, patterns were painted on the walls, and next to the door, a sign was posted, declaring, "We have original forest goods!"

All Link could say was, "What have they done?"

Opening the door, the boy and the fairy were greeted by the sound of a violin. Descending the embellished stairway, they found Solmi and Sido waiting expectantly.

"Welcome, valued customers!" Solmi cheered, playing an unusual ditty on her violin.

"A _shop_?!" Navi exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?!"

Sido, a rather short kokiri boy, climbed up onto a makeshift counter. "Yes! Welcome to the very first Kokiri Shop! We sell all sorts of original forest goods here! Are you interested in dried produce? Or how about deku sticks? We just received a fresh supply from only the finest heads in the forest!"

Link squinted, rubbing his scalp involuntarily. "Did you ask them if they're okay with that first?"

"This doesn't make any sense!" Navi complained. "The kokiri don't use money, and we almost never have visitors from outside. What are you thinking, turning the _public_ storage shelter into a store?"

"We just wanted to do something special," Solmi explained sheepishly. "Fado said all great societies have shops."

"So Fado put you up to this," Link said with a huff. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I, for one, still think it's a good idea," Sido declared. "Even if it was Fado's idea."

Navi arched an eyebrow. "What would you have us use for currency?"

"Um... Um... Um," Sido faltered.

"How about fruit?" Solmi suggested.

"No," Sido mumbled as he scratched his head. "Fruit isn't rare enough around here. Fado said it had to be something rare."

"How about deku nuts?" Fado suggested as she came down the stairs. "They're small and light. They're uniform and unique. And they're of limited supply."

"It can't be deku nuts," Link countered, giving Fado an angry look. "They aren't in season. And the Great Deku Tree wouldn't allow us to harvest them, even if they were."

"But I think deku nuts would be ideal currency," Fado persisted. "The Great Deku Tree himself can dole them out as payment for jobs well done."

"But they're explosive!" Navi objected. "Isn't money supposed to be safe and last a long time?"

Fado folded her hands behind her head and leaned back. "Then I guess you'll just have to work for implied currency until we find something tangible to use."

"Link's already worked his fair share," Navi claimed. "A portion of the materials in storage are there by the work of his hands. How much 'implied money' would you say he's earned from that?"

Fado assumed a thinker's pose. "Well, since everyone's worked to stock this place, I say everyone should receive thirty deku nuts as initial payment."

"And how many deku sticks can a single deku nut buy?" Navi prodded.

"That's up to Sido," Fado said with a smile. "He owns the shop."

"Well," Sido mused. "I suppose one deku nut is worth one deku stick."

"And how many deku nuts would it take to buy a deku bark shield?" Navi queried.

"A deku bark shield?" Sido repeated. "I don't think we have one of those."

Navi shook her head in disappointment. "You said you sell 'original forest goods' but you don't even have any deku shields."

"We could make some!" Solmi offered. "We have enough deku bark to do that."

Navi nodded her approval. "And once these shields are made, how much would one cost in deku nuts?"

Sido shrugged. "I don't know. About five?"

" _Five?_ " Fado asked incredulously. "When they're made from genuine deku tree bark? They should be worth at least forty!"

"Forty?!" Link gaped.

"Yes," Sido declared. "One deku shield costs forty deku nuts."

Link shook his head frantically. "But I only have thirty!"

"Then maybe you should spend a little of your time working at the shop," Fado suggested. "Or perhaps you could convince the Great Deku Tree to loan you a few?"

With that, Fado left, her laughter lingering behind her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"It's too much!"

"It's _not_ too much!"

Link silently swept the floor as Navi and Solmi continued to argue.

Solmi pouted, "First you said the price of the shield was too much. Then you said the pay per day was too little. Now you're saying the decorations are too much! Why won't you agree with any of my decisions?!"

"Hey, that's not entirely true!" Navi disputed. "I actually did agree with the pay rate once you convinced me of the relative worth of deku nuts. And the price of deku shields was actually Fado's-"

"Big deal!" Solmi wailed. "Why should I always have to prove everything to you?"

"If you're asking me to accept your decisions without question," Navi said in a low, even tone, "You'll find me less than willing to comply. That's a right I reserve for the Great Deku Tree only."

A sudden clarity came into Solmi's eyes. She sat down on the ground and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she cried. "I don't know what came over me. I'm just so... so frustrated. I want this shop to be something special, but nothing seems to be working! We don't even have real customers!"

Link mumbled, "Makes you wonder why you wanted to have a shop in the first place..."

Saria's voice came from the stairway. "Hey! What's going on down here?"

As Saria herself came into view, Link explained to her, "Sido and Solmi turned the storage shelter into a store, I'm trying to earn enough deku nuts to buy a deku shield, and Solmi is stressed."

Saria put her fists on her hips and grimaced. "All that, huh?"

Solmi stood up and wiped wetness from her eyes. She forced a grin. "So you've come to make fun of the shop, too?"

"Nothing of the sort," Saria replied. "I came to see what's going on, and now that I have, I want to help."

Solmi frowned. "I hope your idea of help isn't the same as Navi's."

"Give Navi a rest," Saria suggested. "She probably has her own problems she's stressed about." Saria gave Navi and Link a knowing look.

"I suppose you're right," Solmi admitted. "Still, we could use all the help we can get around here."

Saria glanced about. "Where's Remi? Didn't you ask your own twin for help?"

Solmi answered, "I did. She collects the raw materials."

"A big job," Saria commented seriously. "I hope she has someone helping her."

Solmi pondered this. "I suppose I could ask the Know-It-All Brothers for their help."

Saria addressed Navi. "Navi, will you go ask the Brothers to find and help Remi? And ask Lado as well."

Navi nodded. "Certainly." She left immediately.

Saria faced Solmi again. "So what do you have in mind for this place?"

The twin shrugged vaguely. "I'm not sure. I just based it off of Fado's descriptions. She just made it sound so exciting..." Solmi eyed the decorations on the walls. "Maybe Navi was right. These decorations do seem to be a bit much."

"I agree," Saria said. "We can keep some of it. Like those pots. And that rug. Everything else can go back in storage."

Solmi smiled and pointed at Link. "Hey, Link! It's time to earn your pay! Put these decorations back in storage!"

Link smirked. "I thought you'd never ask."

As Link set about taking down a strand of leaflets, Saria asked, "So why are you working here, Link?"

"To get a deku shield," Link answered. "I told you that when you first came in."

"Oh," Saria uttered. "So you did. How much does one cost?"

"Forty deku nuts," he replied as he went into the back.

"We've decided that we all start with thirty deku nuts," Solmi stated. "And one day's work earns one deku nut."

Saria calculated, "That means Link would have to work here ten days before he can get a shield. And you actually have deku shields?"

Solmi scratched her neck. "Well, Sido is making one now. It should be done in a day or two."

Saria asked, "May I get a time estimate from Sido himself?"

With a shrug, Solmi answered, "Sure. Why not?"

* * *

Link was putting away decorations when he spotted them.

There, on a shelf, completely unprotected, was a pile of deku nuts.

Link eyed them with deep longing. He shook his head.

" _Stealing is wrong._ "

He packed away the decorations he had brought, then began to pass by the shelf again.

His fingers twitched. He averted his eyes.

" _Stealing is wrong._ "

He looked again.

" _But isn't it worse to allow Mido and Fado to continue as they are for longer than might be necessary?_ "

Link turned away.

" _But I don't know if killing the Tree of Evil will actually restore Mido and Fado._ "

Link turned back towards the shelf.

" _But it is my best bet._ "

Link glanced about the room. Seeing Sido at work in the corner, he thought to himself, " _It's too risky, anyways._ "

Then Solmi called, "Hey, Sido! Come here! Saria wants to ask you something!"

Link watched, trembling, as Sido put down the unfinished shield and walked to the front counter. He licked his lips.

" _This is my chance_."

He reached out, then restrained himself.

" _Stealing is wrong. Everyone will just have to wait a few more days._ "

With a jump, he realized, " _I've been taking too long. They might notice my absence._ "

With one final glance, Link hurried back to the front of the shop.

As he removed more items from walls and floor and brought them into storage, Link thought to himself, " _It wouldn't have worked anyways. Even if they don't keep a record of how many deku nuts they have in storage, they know how many I should have. Unless I convince them I received deku nuts from some other source, it would be way too obvious._ "

Now each time Link passed that section of the shelf, his expression was no longer one of painful longing, but one of confident dismissal.

Coming back to the entrance of the shop, Saria hailed, "Hey, Link!"

Link leapt two feet away from her, startled by the sudden attention.

Saria paused.

"That was unexpected."

Calming his heart, Link stepped forward. "Sorry about that. I was just in deep thought."

Saria frowned, then smiled. "Well, I think you'll be happy to know that you won't have to work a whole ten days to get that shield!"

Link blinked. "What? How so?"

Solmi answered, "Saria has agreed to pay for the remaining days after the shield is completed. Once the shield is ready, it's all yours."

Link gaped. "Is that allowed?"

"It is," Sido replied.

Link took Saria's hands into his own.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

Saria smiled and wiped a tear from Link's face.

"I think I do."

Solmi looked back and forth between the two. Confused, indignation welled up within her.

"Oh, _please!_ Working in the shop isn't _that_ bad!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"It's finished!"

" _Woo-hoo!_ "

Every kokiri in the forest had been waiting for this moment for the last few days. Word had spread quickly about Sido's work on the deku bark shield. Sido was the best craftsman among them, so expectations were high.

Ironically, Link ended up at the back of the group as Sido brought the shield forth. He sat quietly on a stool and listened to the reactions.

"It's pretty!"

"So smooth!"

"It looks kinda plain."

"Why is it shaped like that?"

"Can I hold it?"

"No, Link gets to hold it first. Where's Link?"

"He's right there."

The wall of children parted as Saria said, "What are you doing back there, Link? Get over here!"

As Link stood up, he beheld his prize. The shield seemed to have been crafted from a single sheet of bark. It narrowed to a point at the bottom. At the top, the left side was taller than the right side.

"So why is it shaped like this?" he asked as he accepted it from Sido's reluctant hands.

"It's so you can either hide your head behind one side or look over the other side," Sido proudly answered.

Link tested Sido's design. He frowned and arched an eyebrow.

"That wasn't necessary. I could look over it regardless. Now there's less area for me to hide behind."

Sido sighed and donned an apologetic expression.

"To be honest, the wood in the upper corner was just so ugly..."

Navi groaned. "We don't care how it looks. We just want it to be able withstand a sword."

Everyone jumped as Mido suddenly appeared and said, "I can test that for you."

Snatching the shield out of Link's grasp, Mido threw it on the ground, drew a dagger, and began hacking at it.

The other kokiri began to protest, but Link simply held out an arm to keep them from interfering.

Making only shallow scratches in the surface, Mido dropped the dagger and began jumping on it. The shield merely flexed a little. Mido found a heavy metal beam and began bashing the wooden construct, and soon he grew tired of trying in vain.

Picking up his knife, Mido pointed at Link and declared, "You may have a quality shield now, but if you think you can beat me because of that, you are dead wrong!"

Mido left the shop. Everyone exhaled in relief.

Remi asked Link, "So are you going to challenge Mido?"

Link paused. He turned towards Navi. "What do you think I should do?"

Navi pondered for a moment and replied, "I think we can afford a few more days of preparation. After all, you don't plan on going into battle with a shield you've never practiced with, do you?"

Link grinned sheepishly. "Well, until you mentioned that..." An anxious expression manifested in Link's features. "But who will I practice with? Mido was always my trainer whenever it came to fighting."

Navi scanned the faces around her. She folded her arms and pursed her lips. Then her eyes brightened.

"You could ask Soldo! I've seen him practice. He's almost as skilled as Mido. Maybe even better in some regards."

Link considered the possibility. "Soldo usually says he doesn't have time or energy for anything other than guarding the Great Deku Tree and the forest, but perhaps I can convince him to give me advice at least."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Misol asked as he bounded towards the exit. "Let's go!"

Link hesitated, gazing back upon Sido and Solmi.

"What time is it?"

Misol peered outside. "There's still a few good hours left before nightfall."

Link placed the shield on the counter and picked up a broom.

"Then I'll ask Soldo tomorrow. The rate is one deku nut per day, and this day isn't finished yet."

* * *

The next morning, Link asked Soldo to teach him in the ways of shield wielding, and Soldo accepted the task. They trained from dawn to dusk, taking breaks only when deemed necessary. The next day was spent likewise. On the third day, however, Link awoke and discovered that his shield was missing.

"I bet Mido stole it."

It took a while, but Link and Navi finally found Mido waiting in the Kokiri Shop.

Navi demanded, "Mido, give Link his shield back!"

Mido's eyebrows raised with surprise, and Sido said from behind the counter, "Oh, he didn't take it. I did. Sorry, but I just had to fix it up a little. It's back here..."

As Sido went to retrieve the shield, Mido smirked and said, "What would I want with a deformed little shield like that, anyways? No, I'm getting my own shield."

Ignoring Mido's comment, Navi called to Sido, "This isn't going to cost anything extra, is it?"

"No, of course not," Sido answered. "It's my pleasure."

Sido brought the shield forth. It was immediately noticeable that he had painted a red spiral of a symbol on its front.

"So... What do you think?"

Link smiled and touched the smooth surface. "It's neat! What is it?"

Sido declared proudly, "That, Link, is the official symbol of the Kokiri: the Kokiri's Emerald!"

Navi asked, "Aren't emeralds green?"

Sido froze, then smiled confidently. "Yes, they are! But... I think red is more intimidating than green, don't you?"

Navi giggled. "Yes, I suppose so."

With a scowl, Mido queried, "If this Kokiri's Emerald is our official symbol, why haven't I heard of it before?"

"Yeah," Link joined. "What is this emerald? Why is it so important?"

"Um," Sido faltered. "I don't know. I just recall Soldo talking about it and sketching it on the Wall of Slate a year or two ago. He said it was really special, but he didn't say why. It's a secret the Great Deku Tree entrusted only to him."

Link became slightly worried. "If this emerald is such a big secret, are you sure I won't get in trouble for carrying a representation of it?"

Sido shrugged. "I think you'll be fine. Just tell them it was my idea."

Link was surprised. "Are you sure you don't want to just paint over it and spare yourself from trouble?"

Sido shook his head ardently and slammed his hands onto the countertop. "It is too beautiful to paint over! Come what may, I'll give it its chance to gleam in the light!"

Squinting from the sudden outburst, Link responded with a simple "Okay."

Mido leaned towards Sido. "So... Are you going to paint that symbol on my shield, too?"

Sido stroked his chin. "I don't know. It depends on how the Great Deku Tree responds to Link's shield."

Mido crossed his arms and growled, "So you're willing to risk your own comfort for the symbol on Link's shield, but not the one on mine?!"

Sido shook his head slowly. "There is no symbol on your shield, Mido. Not yet. There is a difference between art that could be and art that already is."

Mido glared at the wall. "Harrumph. Fine. Whatever. So when will my shield be completed?"

"Sometime tomorrow," Sido answered, still admiring his own work on Link's shield. "By the way, if Fado is going to help you pay for it, she needs to be present as well."

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Mido said as he left.

Link raised an eyebrow at Sido. "So you're willing to empower someone like that just because he can pay for it?"

Sido shrugged. "It's just business."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Link ran to the place where he and Soldo had met the last two days: the narrow path that led to the Great Deku Tree's Meadow.

"Sorry for being late," Link said as he approached Soldo. "Sido took my shield last night without telling me so he could clean it. ...and to paint this symbol on it."

Link revealed the shield to Soldo, flinching as he did so.

Soldo became tense, but he quickly calmed down. In an even tone, he asked, "Did he provide any explanation as to why he chose such a symbol?"

Link hesitated. "He said it represents the Kokiri's Emerald, the symbol of our tribe. Of course, he didn't know why it's our symbol. He said he simply remembered you talking to him about it some time ago."

Soldo covered his eyes with one hand, as if to hide shame.

Suddenly, the hand came down and rested casually at his side.

"Do not worry about it," he said easily. "The Kokiri's Emerald was given to the Great Deku Tree a long time ago as a token of trust. Certainly there are people in the world who would seek to steal such an impressive jewel, but even if they were to become aware of its existence, they would not know where to find it. So..."

Soldo raised a sturdy stick.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

Once again, Soldo and Link practiced until nightfall. That night, Link made sure he hid his sword and shield in a place where no one would steal them.

The next morning, Link told Navi, "Today's the day."

Navi asked, "Are you sure you don't want to ask Soldo to come with you? He might be willing to help, even if it does mean going against one of the Great Deku Tree's orders."

Link shook his head. "No, he would never disobey the Great Deku Tree." In a whisper, he added, "And just telling him risks Mido or Fado learning our true intentions."

Navi frowned and whispered, "Well, how about Saria? She has some fight in her, and I think she already knows our intent. I don't like the idea of you going in there alone."

Link smiled. "I won't be alone. You'll be with me. All you have to do is get into their heads as you did before, and I'll strike them down while they're distracted."

Navi still wasn't satisfied. "How about the Know-It-All Brothers?"

Link simply turned and began walking.

* * *

Link was about to crawl up the dangerous stairs once more when he heard the accusing voice of Mido behind him.

"See? I told you he was going to disobey the Great Deku Tree."

Link faced his accuser and discovered Soldo was there between Mido and Fado.

"So you spoke truly," Soldo replied. Addressing Link, he called out, "You who have received instruction from me, would you use my trusting services to do that which I dare not approve?"

Link answered, "To help a friend? Yes."

"And just who do you think you're helping?" Mido blurted. "Fado? Me?"

Soldo declared, "If that is your intent, Link... Good luck."

Soldo turned and began to leave. Mido gaped.

"So you're just going to let him disobey the Great Deku Tree like that?! To misuse your training?!"

Soldo paused. "He has already disobeyed in heart. It makes no difference now whether he does it in deed."

Fado reasoned, "But surely the Great Deku Tree made that rule for a reason. Surely you should honor the intent of his decree by keeping Link from making a stupid decision and endangering himself needlessly."

Soldo groaned. "Fado, Mido... If you two truly care as much as you claim, you should stop him. I must return to the Great Deku Tree, the true object of my duties."

Soldo left, leaving Mido and Fado angry and determined.

"Get ready, Link," Mido growled. "Because I'm not letting you touch that tree."

Link faced them. He instinctively reached for his sword, but stopped himself from drawing it. He asked Navi, "How am I supposed to face both of them without a weapon?"

Before Navi could answer, Mido and Fado charged.

Link blocked their fists with his shield and leaped away from their sweeping kicks. Mido remained directly in front while Fado began to circle around behind. Link backed away to one side so he could still face his shield towards both of them at once, more or less. Mido and Fado used their circling to position themselves between Link and the stairs.

"Now what?" Link asked.

Navi stated, "You should know now that you can actually kill their child bodies without inflicting permanent loss."

Link glared at Navi. "I refuse."

Navi scowled. "It's a real option. If Mido himself was so willing to discard his body at a whim, surely it's not a terribly big matter."

Link shook his head vehemently. "I'm not doing that!"

With a leer, Mido mocked, "Then you might as well go home, wimp! Go home to your dead home tree and accept your fate!"

Link rushed forward and shoved at Mido with the flat of his shield. Mido stopped its momentum with his forearms, then grabbed hold of the rim and sent Link stumbling off balance. Fado ran up to send Link sprawling, but Link quickly spun around and struck her with the shield's edge.

Link froze at the sight of a long red gash in Fado's arm. With a grin, Fado punched Link in the stomach. Struggling to back away, he watched as Fado's wound magically disappeared.

Navi tried again. "You see that? The only way to get them out of our way is to completely destroy the puppets they're using!"

Ignoring her, Link called out to his opponents, "Why are you protecting the Tree of Evil? Don't you recognize the harm it's done?!"

"As if I care!" Mido shouted. "I don't think you can comprehend my reasoning, even if I were to explain it to you!"

"Then maybe there's no reason in it at all!" Navi retorted.

"Fado," Link pleaded, "Don't you want to end all of this strife?"

"An end to strife?" Fado repeated. "But strife is the essence of fun!"

Three unexpected voices suddenly shouted as one, " _As if!_ "

A giant net was launched over one of the side hedges and ensnared Fado and Mido. The three Know-It-All Brothers ran out from their hiding place and made sure their catch was secure.

Fasol declared, " _Learning_ is the essence of fun!"

Misol nodded in agreement. "Learning and practicing the ability to succeed!"

Dosol assured Link, "We'll make sure these two won't interfere. Go on and find that tree!"

"Thanks!" Link said as he ran to the staircase.

As he climbed, Mido shouted threats and insults and gnawed on the ropes. Fado just sat still, shivering.

Fasol said, "Tell us why this tree is so important to you, and we'll consider sparing it."

Neither of the prisoners replied to him.

Link and Navi once again crossed the threshold of the ruined castle.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Running back along the same path they had taken before, Link passed the pile of bones and armor from last time. The door the skeleton had come through was mostly closed. Drawing his sword, Link pried it open. Stepping inside a large room, he saw it.

The Tree of Evil was just as Mido had described it. Tall, black, and wet, it grew out of an ancient throne. Red liquid berries sparkled like rubies in the shafts of grey light that pierced the cracked ceiling. The trunk of the tree was humanoid, with two branches stretching out like long, scrawny arms.

The arms spread wide in a welcoming gesture, and higher up the trunk, the bark split open to reveal a mouth full of crooked teeth. It was smiling.

"Welcome, Link, chosen hero of the Goddesses! I thought for sure an obedient little boy like yourself would never come here, but I guess I underestimated your willingness to rebel against those who have been placed in authority over you!"

Link countered, "My duty to peace outweighs my duty to obedience. Now whatever you did to Mido and Fado, undo it!"

The tree cackled. "To convince me to do that, you'd have to promise to spare me, the Tree of Evil! It would hardly be a responsible choice, but unless you promise me this, you have no leverage! And that's assuming you actually pose a threat to me!"

Two skeleton guards emerged from the shadows on either side of the tree. Deep laughter rumbled from their throats. They drew their swords and slowly approached Link.

Link and Navi hastened towards one of the guards.

The Tree of Evil grinned and released a powerful wave of darkness that swept the fairy away from her intended target.

Link stopped and looked back. "Navi!"

Navi struggled against the waves of darkness, but to no avail. She shouted, "Watch out!"

Link turned back around in time to block the enemy's sword. Link ducked under the skeleton's shield and managed to land a blow on its spine. The enemy reeled from the impact, but did not fall. It spun and brought its shield down. Link backed away, shield and sword at the ready.

The skeleton warrior let out a deep, guttural chuckle. With the bending of its knees and a spring into the air, it brought its sword down on Link's shield with tremendous force. Link staggered back a step or two, but managed to bring his shield back up in time to block the next volley of blows.

Again at a distance from each other, they both prepared for another jump attack. This time, as the skeleton swung its sword in the devastating arch, Link sidestepped, causing the weapon to bounce out of his opponent's hand. Link cut through the enemy's spine, effectively killing it.

Now as the other skeleton guard approached, it circled Link quickly, seeking an opportunity to get past Link's shield.

It lashed out. Link blocked the attacks and quickly followed with an attack of his own. He struck his foe's ribs, but it wasn't enough. The warrior quickly hid behind its shield and began circling him again. Link began circling as well. Taking a chance, Link swung his sword, only to be blocked by his enemy's sword. He quickly backed away again, hoping to lure it into using a jump attack as its companion had.

Instead of jumping, it lunged forward, striking Link's shield and sending him stumbling to keep his balance. Quickly recovering, Link backed away again, but found himself cornered against a wall. He tried circling around his foe to get out towards the open again, but the skeleton matched his movements, keeping Link trapped.

It swung its sword, first from above, then from the left, then up from the right. Link utilized both sword and shield to block, but he was getting weaker. The battle was tiring for him, but not so much for the skeleton. It continued its frightening barrage, slicing Link's fingers and shoulders when Link wasn't fast enough or strong enough.

On one of its downward strokes, Link pinned its sword to the ground with his boot. He quickly swung at the exposed upper arm bone, but even though his sword struck its mark, the bone was not broken. Jumping off the sword, Link rolled behind his enemy and raised his shield.

The skeleton's spinning attack trailed beneath Link's shield and made contact with Link's side. By supreme luck, the blade was sideways, making it a bruising blow instead of cutting him in half.

Now away from the wall, Link did as his enemy had done before, keeping the skeleton trapped against the wall. The skeleton kicked at the boy with a heavy boot. Link dodged the assault and stepped behind his foe while it was unbalanced.

Link severed its spine. It fell to pieces.

Breathing heavily, Link approached the Tree of Evil, blade ready.

The tree sneered, "You may have defeated my guards, but you're still in no position to make threats. You have no idea what I am capable of."

Link continued his steady approach.

The tree swiped at the boy with its long, thorny arms. Link sundered them with a single decisive move.

The Tree of Evil scowled. "What is it that you want? Do you want power? I can give you power. You and Mido can be best friends, united forever by my magic!"

Link began chopping into the thick, black trunk. Red fluid spewed out, drenching and dyeing his boots. Link continued with only the slightest hesitation.

"I know what you want," the tree continued in a confident tone. "You just want Mido and Fado to return to normal. I can do that for you. You'll _need_ me for that. Only I can undo what I've done. If you kill me, they'll be heartless forever!"

Link paused. The Tree smiled expectantly. "So... Do we have a deal?"

Link shook his head. "If I let you live, Mido and Fado may be returned to normal, but I bet you'd corrupt many others instead. And that's assuming you're actually willing to honor any such deal."

Link continued to hack into the tree. Navi watched, confused and disturbed. The tree wasn't crying or pleading or even flinching. It was just talking.

Now that the waves of darkness had died down, Navi approached Link.

"Link... Something's not right."

Link said, "Of course something's not right. This tree is not right!"

Navi tried to touch the tree's surface. A flash of pain made her recoil. The tree grinned at her.

Navi landed on Link's shoulder. "Link, something is really wrong here! I think we should back away and reassess the situation!"

Watching the red hole he had made for signs of regeneration, Link heeded Navi's advice.

"You should feel flattered, kid," said the tree. "I don't make deals with merely anyone. And you, of all people, could benefit from my power."

"I'm not interested in your type of power," Link asserted.

"Are you sure?" the tree prodded. "You're so close to being willing to go as far as Mido has gone, I can taste it!"

Link shook his head. "I believe you misunderstand me. I fight so others will be safe. To become unsafe myself would be counterproductive."

The Tree of Evil giggled. "You're already unsafe, you nincompoop! Honestly, if you want my power, all you have to do is eat one of these berries. Any one will do."

Link pushed away a lowered branch. "This ends now."

With sudden ferocity, Link hacked deeper and deeper into the blood-soaked wood.

The tree sighed. "Well, I tried to reason with you. I guess you have no ambition to be anything more than the insignificant speck you are."

With a final chop, Link cut all the way through the trunk.

But the tree did not fall.

Link stepped back as the tree continued to hover in mid-air.

Smiling, it said, "I warned you. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

The mouth closed. When it opened again, it was no longer a mouth, but a giant red eye. The tree twisted and curled itself into a giant ball.

It slammed onto the ground and began to roll towards Link.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Link ran into the daylight and began scrambling down the broken stairs. Navi began casting a protection spell on the entrance to the ruins. The Know-It-All Brothers, sensing danger approaching, dragged Mido and Fado off to the side.

Saria was also present. Seeing the blood that was covering her friend, she gasped, "Link! You're hurt! What happened?!"

Before Link could answer, the monster reached the gaping doorway. Morphing out of boulder form, it glared down upon the children as an eye surrounded by tentacles. Its mocking laughter frightened them all.

"You stopped fleeing! You're all just standing there, trusting the power of the king of trees to protect you! Oh, admire this novelty, yes! But this attraction has a price, and I intend to make you pay it."

Its arms pierced the magic barrier and quickly stretched towards each of them.

Saria sent out a song using her ocarina. The melody had all the urgency of a call for help. A tentacle snatched the instrument away from her and crushed it. Another tentacle wrapped around Saria's arm and lifted her into the air. Using a simple invention, Misol grappled the tentacle closer to the ground, and Link severed it, freeing Saria.

Fado screamed as she and Mido were grabbed by another set of tentacles. Dosol and Fasol drew daggers and stabbed at the offending appendages, but they too were caught.

Saria's call for help had not been in vain. Fairies gathered from near and far and began casting spells to banish the Tree of Evil. The creature dropped the two Know-It-All Brothers, but it kept a firm grip on those it had laid claim to. Fado began to cry as it drew her and Mido into the castle.

Link quickly began to climb back up the stairs. Navi tried to break the tree's authority over the two kokiri.

"I sense that you claim you can do whatever you want with them because you own them, but just because someone owns something, doesn't mean they get to do whatever they want with it!"

The tree's grip on Mido and Fado loosened, but not completely.

The tree laughed cruelly. "Maybe I'm not allowed to do some things to them, but surely I'm allowed to keep them where I choose!"

Navi began casting another spell. "Who says you can own another sentient being at all? By virtue of free will, a sentient being can only belong to himself or herself!"

The tree dropped Mido and Fado, but soon scooped them back up.

"It was of their own free will they chose to serve me! Do you claim their promises hold no weight?"

Navi faltered. "I can't claim that..."

Link reached the top of the stairs and chopped off the tentacles that were holding his former friends. Another wave of tentacles lifted Link high above the ground.

The tree growled, "Do you dare deny me my rights?! You must be punished!"

Navi took a deep breath and held forth her hands again. "Who says it is your right?! The right to delivering punishment belongs to the Great Deku Tree because the kokiri are _his_ children!"

The tree snarled, "But _I'm_ the one whom he wronged!"

With a glare, Navi cast a spell of torment on the Tree of Evil, saying, "If you abide by that policy, surely you must agree that we have the right to punish you for wronging us!"

The Tree of Evil broke the spell, declaring, "You are trespassers! I can do with you as I please!"

Navi challenged it, saying, "Is that true? I don't believe so! One's body is one's own property!"

The tree began squeezing Link, forcing a scream out of him.

"He damaged _my_ body, so by that reasoning..."

The Know-It-All Brothers threw a rope over the tentacle holding Link and pulled down on both sides, hoping to get the tentacle within cutting range. More tentacles came to the aid of the first, keeping the Brothers' plan from succeeding.

Navi quickly claimed, "But Link only hurt you because you made his friends hurt the other kokiri!"

The tree's grip on Link weakened. Then it tightened once more.

"It wasn't I who hurt the kokiri then. His so-called friends did that, not me!"

Another fairy came to Navi's aid. He said, "They did that under your command! He who calls the shots bears the responsibility!"

The Tree of Evil was forced to return Link to the ground safely by the force of their authority. Even so, it maintained its grip on Mido and Fado. "You can have your brats back, but allow me to take back mine!"

Yet another fairy cast a spell that froze the tree's arms, saying, "Not until this situation has been thoroughly evaluated!"

The Tree of Evil glared at the fairies. "They gave themselves to me! What more can be said for them?"

The silence stretched a painfully long time.

Navi opened her eyes and declared, "They never had the authority to promise themselves to evil!"

The monster blinked.

"As if I care."

Navi watched in horror as the enemy continued to reel Fado and Mido in. "It should have worked! Why didn't it work?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" the tree mocked. "I am the Tree of Evil! I'm not subject to the laws of morality!"

It grabbed hold of Saria, Link, and Misol as well. Before it could grab Dosol and Fasol, the two brothers had constructed slings and promptly used them to strike the creature's eye.

Writhing in pain, it released everyone. Link took up his sword, climbed the stairs once more, and drove his blade deep into the giant red eye.

Defeated, the Tree of Evil shriveled and melted, leaving only a golden ring set with a red jewel.

Everyone sighed with relief.

Everyone except Mido.

"What have you done?!" he yelled.

Everyone stared at him in shock.

He fumed and raged, yelling, "That was my only chance! My only chance to be stronger than I could ever be otherwise! You've ruined it! You've all ruined it!"

Fado knocked on Mido's head. "Hello in there! That thing wanted us for dinner, and not in the nice way! Be grateful, you little twerp!"

Mido shoved her to the ground. "You weakling! You cried and whimpered like a little baby, as if we were really in any danger! Now it's gone..."

Mido turned his gaze upon Link.

"You! You just had to go and mess it all up! Just had to go where you don't belong! I said I'd hate you forever for this, and I feel no less strongly now than I did before! Prepare yourself, Link!"

Mido ran into the Lost Woods, a group of fairies following to keep an eye on him.

Link sat down on the ground.

"I won... but I've never felt so defeated before."

Navi sat next to him. "Me too."

With a partial smile, Saria said, "Well, we did seal away a monster that was a threat to all of us."

Navi stood up and smiled back. "True. And Fado seems to be returning to normal. So that's two wins to one loss."

Link frowned. "I still wish it would be a complete win."

"As do we all," Saria said, kneeling down in front of him. "But should that keep us from the joy of our victories?"

Link shook his head. "No. It shouldn't."

Standing up, he gave Saria a hug. Noticing the stiffness of his movements, she inspected his wounds and called to the remaining fairies. "Does anyone here know healing magic?"

Fortunately, there was more than one healer in the area. They tended to Link's injuries as Fado helped Saria pick up the pieces of her ocarina.

Suddenly, a group of frantic fairies came flying back into the meadow.

"Quickly! You must come quickly!"

"No! Stay away! You must stay away!"

"Link must come back to the Kokiri Forest as soon as possible!"

"No! He must stay away! He must hide!"

Deeply concerned, Link asked, "What is going on?!"

"It's Mido!" they cried. "He's killing everyone!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Stepping out of the Lost Woods, the Kokiri Forest looked the same to Link as it always did. The only exceptions were some random lumps here and there, half-hidden in the grass.

Upon realizing that two of those "lumps" were the remains of Soldo's and Remi's child bodies, Link averted his gaze, nausea and rage welling up within him.

Navi reminded Link, "So long as Mido is just killing the child bodies, your friends aren't really dead."

Link began to run. "So long as it's just the child bodies!"

Link ran to the Twins' home tree. Their tree was actually two trees partially fused into one, with each of their tree faces directed in slightly opposite directions.

A new child Solmi and a new child Remi emerged from their true mouths.

Solmi was furious. "Mido killed me! Can you believe it?! Do you have any idea how much that hurts?!"

Remi was scared. "What happened to him? What's going on? Mido has never done anything like this before!"

"He's mad at me," Link said dryly. "He wants to punish me for ruining his chance to gain power."

Solmi scowled. " _He's_ the one who needs to be punished! You can do that for us, can't you?"

"I intend to stop him," Link answered. Inspecting their tree, he asked, "Has Mido been attacking home trees?"

"Not that we know of," Remi replied, shuddering. "But you better stop him now, just in case. I don't think there's anything he won't do."

Navi asked, "Where did you see him last?"

"He was in the shop a few minutes ago," Solmi recalled. "But he's probably not there now."

A fairy came and said, "Mido is waiting for Link at Link's home tree."

Link jumped. " _There?!_ "

Navi crossed her arms. "He certainly has a taste for drama."

Without another word, Link raced away towards the rarely visited location.

"Be careful!" the twins called out after him.

As Link and Navi rushed to their destination, they couldn't help but notice that Soldo's bodies were showing up again and again.

"Soldo is quite dedicated," Navi noted. "Look how many times he's challenged Mido!"

"Challenged and failed," Link murmured. "And Soldo is a better fighter than me..."

"Hey!" Navi barked. "You're a great fighter! And I bet Soldo is still trying to defeat Mido, so you better go help him! The two of you together should be enough to overcome him!"

Link appreciated Navi's encouragement, but he still had doubts.

"What if Mido really is willing to kill me?" he asked, his breathing becoming labored. "I know I said earlier that I should face him, but wouldn't it be wiser for me to stay away until he calms down? I mean, I'm the one who has only one body left."

Navi stopped. "You're right. This could be too dangerous for you. Go hide in the storage shelter. I'll help Soldo fight Mido."

Link nodded and ran in his new direction.

* * *

Descending the stairs into the storage shelter, Link had forgotten that this was the place Mido had killed Solmi and Sido. The sight appalled him, but he quickly passed by and sought a hiding place amidst the boxes and stuffed shelves.

Link heard the front door open. He quickly crawled under a blanket. The boy tried to settle his heavy breathing as the footsteps grew louder.

The intruder stopped directly before him.

"I always thought of you as a weakling," Mido muttered. "But I never took you for a coward."

Ripping the blanket away, Mido stepped back a pace and assumed a fighter's stance, pointing his dagger at Link.

"Get up, coward! It's time we finished this!"

Link stood and raised his shield.

Mido rolled his eyes. "Draw your sword! You think this is a game?!"

Link didn't obey. "Fighting me won't help you any! I may have ruined your chance for more power, but this behavior will deprive you of what power you already have! Drop your sword!"

Mido spat. "I don't have to listen to you! I don't have to listen to anyone! That's one thing the Tree of Evil taught me! If you want power, you have to take it by force!"

Link rammed Mido with his shield, knocking him to the ground.

"Then you haven't learned anything from the Great Deku Tree!" Link yelled. "Nor from the fairies! Nor from... this shop! Power must be earned!"

Wiping blood from his nose, Mido sneered, "I don't think so. Let's learn from the Know-It-All Brothers and perform an experiment. If I beat you, I'm the one who's right!"

"It wouldn't be a proper experiment," Link countered. "There are too many variables left unaccounted for."

Mido shrugged. "Whatever."

Suddenly, Mido ran to a corner of the room and snatched up what Link surmised was the shield Sido had been making for Mido.

"Now I've got both a sword and a shield!" Mido smirked. "Now you'll have to draw your sword!"

Link did draw his sword, bringing a grin to his enemy's face.

The two boys stood still for nearly a minute.

Mido charged at Link, shield first. Link dodged and jumped over a pile of boxes. Mido ran around the pile and blocked Link from escaping. With wild fury, he pounded against Link's shield with his blade. Link was forced to back away until a shelf kept him from backing away any farther. He crouched behind his shield, but keeping it in front of him was becoming increasingly difficult as Mido knocked it this way and that.

Link rolled to one side and reset his stance. Once again, Mido drove Link back with an unrelenting onslaught. Backing into another shelf, Link changed tactics. Swinging his sword with impressive speed, he intercepted Mido's attacks and began driving him back.

Firmly planting his feet, Mido retreated no more. He swung his shield around and locked it with Link's. Now Link was forced to block all of Mido's attacks with sword alone.

Surviving the salvo, Link jerked his shield free and leaped behind a barrel of sticks. Mido kicked the barrel over, sending sticks flying. Link raised his shield to protect his eyes, then found that he was simultaneously protecting himself from another direct offensive.

Link grabbed a blanket and tossed it at Mido, hoping he would get entangled by it. Mido simply threw it to the ground. Link began throwing a variety of items at Mido. Mido deflected every one of them.

Remembering the stash of deku nuts, Link planned to make his way over to them.

Mido closed the distance between them and sent Link stumbling with a shield bash. Link regained his stance and darted to the other side of the room. Mido was close behind when Link reached the deku nuts. Guarding with his shield, Link transferred his sword to his shield hand, grabbed a deku nut with his sword hand, bounded back a good distance, and threw the nut at Mido's feet.

The flash of light stunned both boys, but Mido received the brunt of it. He lay paralyzed on the ground as Link stumbled towards him, sword in hand.

Link removed Mido's sword and shield from his grasp and threw them across the room. Then, pinning his enemy down with one foot, Link prepared to destroy him.

But he couldn't.

Link considered cutting off Mido's hands or feet, but he couldn't bring himself to do that, either.

Mido regained consciousness.

Seeing Link standing over him, he demanded, "Don't just stand there, you idiot! End me!"

Sweat dripped from Link's face. Mido glared furiously. Seconds upon seconds passed.

At the end of his patience, Mido rolled out from under Link's foot and ran to the shop entrance.

He yelled, "You are a complete and total wimp! A wimp, you idiot! And you'll pay for it! You'll pay for it by watching Saria die!"

Mido turned around and found himself looking up into the eyes of the Great Deku Tree's human form. The man grabbed hold of Mido's wrist and dragged him silently away.

The door closed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Link watched intently as the Know-It-All Brothers practiced defensive maneuvers. They stopped as Sido began pounding a sign into the ground.

"What's that?" Link asked, not unkindly.

"This," Sido answered with an air of importance, "makes it official. This sign shall proclaim to all that this is the one and only Forest Training Center!"

"Well... Thanks!" Link said. Then, turning to his students, he warned, "Be careful about letting anything distract you."

"Yeah, we know," Misol replied, leaning on his wooden sword.

Dosol bowed to Link. "Thank you for teaching us."

Misol groaned. "Yeah, we're thankful and all, Dosol, but don't you think telling him fifteen times was enough?"

"One thing I find odd," Fasol murmured, "is that Link chose a location so close to his deceased home tree. I know Mido can't bother us here because he's forbidden from leaving Kokiri Forest now, but still..."

"It can be a bit of a distraction," Dosol admitted.

Link gazed downhill to the subject at hand. The dead tree which shared his face was situated in a soggy depression. It was much smaller than the living deku trees that served as the true bodies of the kokiri. Its leaves and most of its branches were gone. Its neck was striped with waterlines. Its bark was largely obscured by mosses, lichens, and fungi.

Link answered, "I chose this spot because it reminds me that danger isn't only found by leaving your home. Sometimes danger finds you, and if you aren't prepared, it can kill you in the very spot you've always lived."

* * *

Returning to the Kokiri Forest, the boys found the girls bubbling over with excitement in the Kokiri Shop.

"What's going on?" Link asked.

Saria replied, "It's that time of year again! The Autumn Festival is just a week away!"

Remi practically purred. "There'll be masks and stories and competitions and all sorts of delicious treats!"

Solmi smirked. "And it'll be hosted by the deku folk far outside of the Kokiri Forest, so Mido won't be there to mess anything up!"

Fado noticed the door click shut. "Just a month ago, you would have been sad if Mido couldn't come."

Solmi crossed her arms and huffed. "That was an age ago. Things are different now."

Fado didn't respond.

Saria reasoned, "Things can't really return to normal for Mido when he hasn't even apologized yet."

Link nodded in agreement. "His consistently bad attitude doesn't help much, either."

Fado sighed. "I suppose that's true."

Dosol announced, "Same as last year: showing your face is considered indecent to deku folk, so if you want to even step foot on the festival grounds, you'll need a mask. Decorating your mask for the mask competition is optional."

Many eyes focused on Sido at once.

Sido backed away a step. "I'll see what I can do, but making masks can take an awfully long time, especially if they're custom-made."

Seeing no one deterred, he added, "Also, I'll expect payment this time. The more complex the mask, the more expensive it'll be."

Groans of disappointment filled the air, and a few of the kokiri left.

After some extra thought, Sido said to Link, "Because of all your work to return Fado to normal, I'm willing to make your mask for free, and to make it first priority."

Link replied, "Really? Thank you! ...but I think I'd rather make my mask myself. ... Still, I may need some help, so I'll stay close."

Sido patted Link on the shoulder. "Whatever you want, my friend. I'll even provide materials free of charge."

"What kind of mask are you thinking of?" Solmi pried. "I can sense you've already got an idea!"

"Well," Link whispered, "I want to somehow memorialize the skeleton warrior - that ghost we met a month ago who gave me my sword."

Sido stroked his chin. "I say the best thing to do is to make a mask in his likeness. I know you said you'd prefer to make it yourself, but allow me to at least get you started."

Shaking Sido's hand, Link answered, "Please do. I'll be in your debt."

Sido laughed. "As if this would repay the debt we have to you!"

* * *

After providing Sido with a detailed description of the ghost, Link left the shop to attend to other matters. The next day, Link returned to evaluate Sido's work.

"Here it is," Sido said, uncovering the roughly hewn mask. "What do you think? Does it look like him?"

Link frowned. "It's looking great, but the jaw is a little too narrow, and the blades on his helmet look a little too much like horns."

Sido scratched his head. "I sized the jaw so the mask would fit you when you put it on. As for the helmet part, I'm sorry, but it is too late to do any major adjustments now. If you want it as you envision it, I suggest you stay and supervise me as I work."

"Okay," Link decided. "I'll just have to tell the Brothers that I'm not coming to the training center today."

"We already know," Fasol stated from behind Link, causing Link and Sido to jump.

Fasol laughed. "What's that you always say about paying attention to your surroundings?"

Sido shook his head indignantly. "Hey! I was watching, and you weren't there a second ago!"

Fasol bowed majestically. "I'm deeply honored by such a high compliment! Oh, how I've been practicing..."

Fasol discarded the act and said, "I don't want to sound like I'm trying to besmirch this ghost, but I've been wondering: If he was really such a good person, why was he living alongside the Tree of Evil? I just can't imagine how that would have worked."

Link picked up the unfinished mask and began sanding it. "I can't imagine it, either. But I do know that his words were wise and his intentions were true, so however things worked between him and the monsters within the ruins, I do not doubt the goodness that was in his heart."

* * *

After only one more day of work, the mask was refined to Link's satisfaction. Complete with a device made by the Know-It-All Brothers that recreated the glowing eye, Link hid the mask in the storage shelter in a place where it would be safe until the day of the festival.

On his way to the Sacred Meadow to meet with Saria, Link generally made an effort to stay as far away from Mido's home tree as he could in his route. Even so, on this particular day, Link found his path blocked by Mido himself.

Both of them expressionless, the two boys eyed each other with caution.

It was Mido who broke the silence.

"I heard you finished your mask. It would be a shame if something happened to it."

Link glared. "That sounds like a threat."

Mido shrugged.

Another minute of silence followed.

Mido stepped to the side. "Go ahead. Go to Saria. You were always her favorite, anyways."

Gritting his teeth, Link growled, "That's not true! Saria doesn't pick favorites! She cares about everyone!"

Mido rolled his eyes. "So much misguided passion. You really should be more careful with the way you spend your energies. But who am I to speak? Go ahead. Go play your hollow melodies. As if I care."

"Mido," Link cried, face turning red with frustration. "Why don't you simply apologize? If you'll only try to reconcile..."

Mido spat at Link and ran away.

Wiping away angry tears, Link hurried to where Saria was waiting.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

On the morning of the Autumn Festival, every kokiri except Soldo and Mido donned their masks, packed fruit and other commodities, and traveled to the Deku Main District. The specific location of the festival was within a series of excavated ruins that had long been used by the deku people as their marketplace. For their celebration of the first day of autumn, the marketplace had been decorated with leaves and berries and ripe fruit, both real and fake. Reds, oranges, and yellows were everywhere. A grand variety of vendors lined the walls. Music and appetizing scents filled the air.

Four main groups had gathered there on this day, the first and second being the deku people and the kokiri. The deku people are notably part plant, with skin like bark and leaves for hair. The typical mask worn by deku folk was plain and round with a cylinder protruding around the mouth. On this day, however, masks worn ranged from beautifully intricate to bizarrely deformed. The third and fourth groups present were the picori and the fairies. Both are quite small, approximately the size of a child's fist. In truth, a fairy is just a spiritually empowered picori. Granted authority by a higher power, a picori will glow and gain the ability to fly. Two more groups were also present, but only as small percentages. The kikwis are fuzzy round beings with beak-like noses and small bushes on their backs. The monkeys are... well, monkeys. Except they could talk.

"The mask competition begins at noon," Saria stated from behind her leaf-shaped mask. "We have a couple of hours to spend before then."

Sido declared through his deku nut mask, "Solmi and I will set up our booth here. If anyone needs us, we'll be here."

Almost removing her smooth decorated mask, Solmi pouted, "But Sido... I don't want to stay at our booth the whole time. I want to see the sights!"

"So do I," Sido admitted. "But someone needs to be at the booth. How are we going to buy anything if we don't earn any deku money?"

Sido smacked himself. "Oh, I forgot! The deku folk don't use money! They have a bartering system!"

From under a formula-inscribed mask, Dosol said, "Actually, they do have a form of currency, as some materials are more readily used for trading purposes. For example, precious metals and stones are often stored up for the sole purpose of being used to pay for things. Still, as a bartering economy, the store owners are much more open to strange payment materials."

"Besides, this is the Autumn Festival!" Misol interjected through his bomb mask. "Half of this stuff is going to be free!"

"Except the really good stuff," Sido countered.

"The solution is simple," Saria answered. "We'll take turns. Every hour, a different duo will man the booth. Every hour, all of us will meet back here."

* * *

Link peered down into the deep water.

"No chance."

"But you should!" Lado pleaded, his pumpkin mask bobbing about. "There's no water deeper than waist high in the Kokiri Forest, so this may be your only chance to really practice swimming!"

"It's a game, Lado, not a swimming pool," Link argued. "Not an ideal place to learn."

"Oh, but I'm sure the game manager would be willing to give you a chance if you ask him." Lado persisted. "Let's just ask him!"

"Let's not," Link disagreed as he turned to walk away. Before he could make much distance, Lado had called out, "Hey, mister! Could my friend here get some swimming practice in your pool?"

The deku man considered the question. "Well, the point of this game is to test your diving skills, but I suppose you can't play a diving game if you can't swim, so I'll allow him to practice on the condition that he plays the game."

"You hear that, Link?" Lado announced. "He says he'll allow you to practice!"

Link gestured helplessly. "But I can't get my mask wet!"

"Don't worry," the game manager replied calmly. "We have a changing room with diving outfits provided. If you pay for an attempt, you get to use a diving outfit. In fact, it's a rule that you must be wearing a diving outfit to play."

Link hesitated with his next question. "But... Don't think that I'm rude, but how sanitary is it all?"

The deku man hummed a little. "Well, at the very least, you get a free shower before and after. It is a requirement for all who play to at least take a shower beforehand."

Link's next question was, "So how much does it cost to play?"

The deku man's reply was, "The equivalent of two iron coins or seven standard fruit would be preferred."

Link checked his bag for the desired contents. He had what was required, but even so...

"I'm sorry," Link declared. "But I don't want to get wet today."

The deku man said, "It doesn't have to be iron or fruit. And I haven't told you the prize for winning. If you retrieve all five hoops from the bottom of the pool before a full minute passes, you'll receive an awesome zora scale necklace! Or bracelet, depending on your preference. If you only get four of the hoops, you'll get one iron coin back."

Appearing unexpectedly, Fasol leaned towards the game manager, humid breath steaming out from his animal skull mask.

"I was under the impression that zoras don't have scales," he muttered as he inspected the scales in the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings on display.

Intimidated, the deku man asserted, "I always believed otherwise. And my supplier seems trustworthy to me."

Another warm puff of air came out of the dark nostrils.

"I'll just have to verify it for myself. How much does one cost?"

"Um," the deku man faltered. "A necklace costs ten iron coins if you want to buy it directly, but if you win it through the game in one try, it's only two iron coins."

Fasol faced Link. "Link! I request for you to win this game and procure a sample for me to analyze!"

Link backed away. "Why not ask him for just a few discarded scales that may have been too damaged to use or something like that? I'm sure such shouldn't cost more than an apple."

Fasol wrapped an arm behind Link's neck and led him back towards the pool. "Honestly, I also want to see you win this game. For you to defeat your phobia."

"Phobia?" Link repeated. "What do you mean-"

"We recognize that you're afraid of deep water because your tree's been drowned," Lado stated. "And that is a fear you need to deal with. Not by running away, but by learning to swim."

Link frowned and arched an eyebrow. "There's no water deeper than waist-high in the Kokiri Forest, so none of us really know how to swim. Why are you putting so much attention on me?"

Lado and Fasol shrugged.

Lado merely said, "I'll pay for you."

Link checked his time-measuring device.

Fasol chuckled. "It's not time to meet at the booth yet, so you have no excuse."

Link clenched his fists, faced the game manager, and declared, "Fine. I'll play the game. Just for the bracelet!"

Glaring meaningfully at the two kokiri, he finished, "I am not afraid of deep water, anyways."

Fasol subtly elbowed Lado. "Heh! He sure had me fooled!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"That took more tries than I anticipated," Lado frowned, feeling the lightness of his pack. "But I guess it was worth it."

Link muttered, "You could have just paid for leftover scales."

Fasol replied, "But then you wouldn't have this fashionable bracelet to wear! And you wouldn't have proven to yourself that you really can swim in deep water."

Link folded his arms. "The only ones I had to prove myself to were you two."

Fasol shrugged. "Well, as a reimbursement for your discomfort, I'll pay for any three games you choose."

"Really?" Link asked.

Fasol became uncomfortable. "Well, when I say three games, I mean three attempts."

"That should be enough," Link said, his gait becoming energetic and excited. "Come on!" he urged as he increased his pace. "It's this way!"

* * *

The deku woman game manager announced, "The object of this game is simple: use any of these weapons to score three perfect bull's-eyes on that target, and you get to keep the weapon! If you want to buy the weapon more directly, you'll have to prove you can use it by at least hitting the target three times in a row. In either case, each attempt costs an equivalent of one iron coin, and you have to hit the target three times in a row. No missing between hits. The additional cost for an imperfect trio varies depending on the weapon."

Fasol sighed with relief. "Just one coin per attempt, huh? Link, you had me thinking it was a hundred!"

"Well..." Link began, an abashed tone entering his voice. "I spent all of my materials on this game earlier this morning. But I'm sure I can win the slingshot if I try just a few more times."

Fasol was silent for a moment.

"You spent it all? Trying to get a slingshot? When Sido could have assuredly made one for you for less than a quarter of that price?"

Link squirmed. "I didn't think of that."

Fasol gripped his own mask with the likeness of agony. "Link! _I_ could have a made a slingshot for you if you had only asked! I can even teach you to make your own!"

Link turned away, thoroughly ashamed. "I didn't think of that."

Lado moaned, "What did you think the game manager would have said if you won? "Cool! You're great! You scored three perfect bull's-eyes! I have to give a neat present to such a wonderful person! Please take it!"" With a sigh, Lado concluded, "I guess there are some things that even Link needs to prove to himself."

Link didn't reply.

Fasol groaned, "We could have provided a target, too." Then, relenting, Fasol stated, "I suppose this is partially my fault. With me and Lado always saying you have to prove yourself to others and to yourself, no wonder you couldn't stand back long enough to logically assess the situation."

His voice cracking, Link said, "It's too late now, so what do you suggest? Do you want me to give up?"

Fasol exhaled long and low. "I don't want you to give up on being skilled with a slingshot. However, I do want you to be smarter in regards to how you obtain your goals."

Link crossed his arms tightly. "I just thought I'd be able to get it in only a few tries..."

Fasol checked his time-measuring device, then quickly put it down, disappointed that it wasn't time to go yet.

"As promised," Fasol stated slowly, "I will pay for any three attempts of your choosing. Do you want to try here again, or somewhere else?"

Within a second, Link answered, "Here. Just three more times."

Fasol laid down the payment.

Link picked up the slingshot.

He fired.

"Perfect!"

Link fired again.

"Almost!"

Fasol said to Link, "I'll pay for the next three attempts. It looks like you're really close."

Link nodded, and tried again.

"Perfect!"

"Perfect!"

"Oh. Almost!"

Link put the slingshot down.

Fasol rubbed the back of his head. "I see how this proved to be so addicting. So close, and yet so far."

Link sighed. "Well, that was five attempts. I suppose I'm done here."

As they turned to leave, the deku woman in charge of the game said, "Now wait a moment, please. I know that the rules say you must get three perfect shots in a row to win your weapon of choice, but considering how many perfect and near-perfect shots you've gotten... and considering how much you've paid in the attempt, I'll give you the slingshot. You've earned it."

Gratefully receiving the item, Link said to her, "Thank you. I'll cherish it greatly."

The deku woman shrugged. "You're welcome. After all, how could I not give a neat present to such a wonderful person?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The time for the Mask Competition had finally arrived. Everyone participating had gathered in a large amphitheater. Those who would show their masks and those who would judge stood side by side, so the only ways to keep one's mask a secret until one's official presentation was to either cover one's mask somehow or to wear a different mask until then. A majority of the deku people were employing one of these techniques or the other, but the kokiri didn't really seem to care much for the element of surprise. Even so, the deku folk tended to reserve their judgement for the stage alone, so before this point, almost no one had commented on their masks.

The kokiri saw many masks that afternoon. Some were masterfully made. Others were not so well made. The responses from audience members varied with the mask presented. Sometimes the audience liked the mask, and coins were thrown onto the stage for the contestant to gather. Sometimes the audience disliked the mask, and all they did was stare. If the mask was somewhere in between, a few coins would be thrown as a reward for trying.

There were two responses that were relatively rare. If the audience really loved the mask presented, the musicians would begin playing an exuberant song while the audience danced around. Then the contestant would be showered with presents. To the other extreme, if the audience really hated the mask, they would actually spit what seemed like chunks of dirt at the contestant until he or she left the stage. Fasol explained to Link that the chunks were actually compact pellets composed of indigestible material that deku people had to expel from their bodies eventually.

The audience took its time with each individual, so the sun was well on its way to setting by the time it was the kokiris' turn. Dosol decided to not go onto the stage. His mask was of scientific formulas, and he believed science should not be judged as art is judged. Misol with his bomb mask and Fasol with his animal skull mask both earned fair responses. In general, every kokiri mask was liked, or at least not significantly disliked.

Finally, it was Link's turn. Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the stage.

He tried to gauge the audience's feelings as he passed by. They silently watched him as he walked, their emotions hidden behind their masks. It was like this for every contestant. It was only when the contestant was on the stage that they truly expressed their opinions.

Link wondered if his mask was too indecent. Fasol had also worn a skull mask, but his was of an animal's skull, and animals were always exempt from clothing standards. Link was confident that his mask was made well enough artistically speaking, so he wasn't afraid of ridicule in that regard. He didn't expect the deku people to know that the mask was based on a particular skeleton knight, so he didn't expect bonus points for his choice of subject matter. And if the deku folk had met the skeleton knight, Link could only hope that the old soldier had made a favorable impression on them. Link began to wonder if the deku folk would have required the skeleton knight wear a mask when in their presence.

Stepping onto the stage, Link activated the red eye device, faced the audience, and waited.

There was hushed whispering among the deku folk for nearly a full minute. Link had expected this. They did this every time. It was what would happen once the whispering stopped that he was concerned about.

The leader of the deku folk gave the signal, and the whispering stopped.

Immediately, the amphitheater burst into song and dance. Link was greatly relieved, but that wasn't the end of it. Deku people actually rushed up onto the stage and crowded around him. They led him along until he was standing before the leader himself.

"Child of the Great Tree," he began in a serious voice. "All of the deku brothers and sisters agree... you look just like our patron warrior spirit!"

Link gaped. "You... You knew him?"

" _Knew?_ " the leader repeated, concern entering his voice. "He's been coming and going through these parts for the longest time, so we don't think anything of it when he doesn't appear for a while, but... Did something happen to him?"

Whispers spread, and silence soon followed. All eyes were on Link.

Link admitted, "I don't know. I only met him once, but when I went where he had gone nearly a week later, I met a bad guy who said he had killed him." Hoping yet, Link asked, "This all happened a month ago, and the bad guy could have been lying, so... Have you seen the warrior spirit since then?"

The leader sadly shook his head.

Trying to remained composed, Link continued, "I defeated the one who claimed to... And I made this mask... in memory of the warrior spirit."

The leader looked away. "It doesn't hurt to hope that he's still alive, but even so, I'm glad you've chosen to honor him."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a leather pouch and held it out to Link.

"Your mask has been chosen as the best. Please accept this reward."

Link accepted the bag and placed it into his own pocket without checking to see what was inside it.

The leader announced to the crowd, "The mask competition must be postponed. Let us use the rest of this day to pray for the safe return of the warrior spirit, or to mourn his passing."

* * *

The kokiri gathered at their booth. The festive mood was gone from everyone now, replaced with worry and grief for the skeleton knight.

A group of deku men approached the kokiri.

One of them pointed at Link. "See what you've done? You've ruined the festival!"

Link gazed evenly at them. "I do not regret honoring the memory of a hero."

Another deku man said to his companions, "I bet he made that story up. You can't kill a ghost!"

Link stated, "The one who claimed to be his murderer was also a ghost. A skeleton, just the same as the warrior spirit."

One deku man queried, "Earlier, you said you killed the murderer. If the murderer was also a skeleton, how did you defeat him?"

Link answered, "I decapitated him using the sword that the warrior spirit gave to me."

The deku men scoffed.

"That sounds awfully convenient."

"As if anyone can defeat such a seasoned warrior, then fall to a mere kid."

"What if this kid betrayed the warrior spirit, then made up this story to cover his tracks?"

"Link wouldn't do that!" the other kokiri shouted.

Link tried to explain what happened. "The evil skeleton underestimated me. He was too busy mocking me to attack me, and Navi the fairy got inside him, distracting him long enough for me to kill him."

One deku man glanced about the sky, pretending to be frightened. "Oh no! I hope Navi the fairy isn't around here now, because we're obviously too busy mocking you to stand against her! Yeah, we aren't believing your threats, kokiri."

"I'm not threatening you!" Link cried. "And this isn't an appropriate attitude to display, whether the warrior spirit is truly dead or not! How would he wish for you to behave?"

The group became quiet.

One of them said, "The warrior spirit was probably Hylian anyways."

The deku men began to step closer to the kokiri.

Link regretted his decision to not bring his sword or shield.

The deku men yelled, " _Go, Mad Scrubs!_ " and ran towards the children.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Where did they take the other kokiri?" Misol demanded.

The captured deku man didn't answer.

Link asked, "Why do they want to capture us?"

He still didn't answer.

Fasol led a serious-looking squad of uniformed deku men to where Misol and Link were keeping their prisoner, saying, "Here is the one we captured, officers. Thus far, he hasn't revealed any information."

"Thank you for your assistance, kokiri," the lead officer said. "We'll take it from here."

Link and Misol backed away from the prisoner, who immediately began to tremble.

"Please forgive me, masters! I'll never do it again! If you spare me, I'll teach you something important!"

"I daresay you will," replied the lead officer, crossing his arms.

Glancing about nervously, the Mad Scrub said, "I can lead you to our secret base! It's in the ancient maze!"

"We know it's in the ancient maze," the lead officer stated curtly. "But we don't know where, so you are going to lead us there personally. Or else..."

The Mad Scrub gulped. "No 'or else' needed! I'll do as you say!"

Link approached the lead officer and requested, "We would like to accompany you. We can hold our own in a fight, and we won't be an interference."

The lead officer laughed dryly and said, "No. You should stay here. The Mad Scrub gang are not to be trifled with. Don't worry. We'll get your friends back."

* * *

Misol, Fasol, and Link secretly followed the group of officers at a safe distance as they traversed the ancient maze. In this maze, every room was identical to the last. Every room had one door in each wall, so there were three options per room. Even if one chose the wrong door, the next room contained another three doors to choose from. The only difference was that some doors were locked from one side.

Link whispered to Misol, "How is it that you two escaped capture, but Dosol didn't? Was he just outnumbered?"

Misol smirked. "That's what we wanted the enemy to think. Dosol allowed himself to get captured so he could relay information from the inside to us secretly."

Fasol released a sad sigh. "At least that was our intent. It was an ill-conceived plan. We Know-It-All Brothers can usually read each other's minds because our home trees are intertwined, but since we're so far from our home tree, our telepathic abilities are weak. That, and the Mad Scrubs blindfolded Dosol."

Link almost forgot to keep his voice down. "How are they being treated? Has Dosol told you anything about that?"

Fasol smiled with a grimace. "Bruised, but not bloodied."

Misol frowned as the Mad Scrub guide led the officers through a door to the left. He whispered to Link, "Let's be extra careful here. Even though Dosol was blindfolded, he tried to discern the directions via centrifugal force. If his senses were accurate and his memory serves correctly, their captors took them straight here, not left. Our guide might be leading them into a trap."

Link jumped. "Shouldn't we warn them?!"

Misol's answer sounded like this:

"Mmmnnnooooooeeeyyyeah."

Misol ran into plain view and shouted, "Wait! Stop! Don't go that way!"

The officers, confusion and annoyance in their tones, filtered back through the doorway.

One whispered fiercely, " _Shhh!_ Do you want the enemy to know we're coming?"

Another asked, "Why did you follow us? You should have gone home!"

Dragging the captive back out from the next room, the leader inquired of the kokiri, "Why do you say we shouldn't go that way?"

Misol hesitated. "We-eeell... I believe it may be a trap."

"A trap?" the leader repeated. "How would you know this?"

Coming to a decision, Misol lied, "I've been here before. You should go through _that_ door next. That's the way."

The captive spat, "What are you saying?! Do you think I'm a traitor?!"

Misol arched an eyebrow. "To the Mad Scrubs? No. I don't think you're a traitor to them. To these law enforcers? Probably."

The lead officer considered the matter. Addressing Misol, he asked, "Can you lead us to the Mad Scrubs' Hideout?"

Misol nodded. "Yes, I believe I can. ...but first, I think we should return to the city. Tomorrow would be a better day to deal with this."

The officers became offended. "What?! We would never forsake anyone who needs our help!"

Misol thought of another lie. "But this place looks so different at night. I don't think I can lead the way with such poor lighting."

The officers exchanged whispers, then unhappily consented to return to the city for the night.

After the deku men left, Fasol and Link inspected the room the guide had been leading the officers into.

On the other side of the door, iron bars were blocking the entrance. If the officers had gone in there and allowed the door to close, they would have been trapped.

* * *

Once they arrived at the Deku District's Police Base, Misol declared to the officers, "I actually can traverse the maze at night. I needed you all to come back here to make my plan work."

The deku officers did not appreciate being deceived, but they allowed the kokiri to continue his explanation.

"This is my plan: You let the public believe that you intend to wait until tomorrow, but in actuality, we'll take them tonight. We pretend that some of the guards were persuaded by our captive to join the Mad Scrubs. They'll say they freed the Mad Scrub, and the Mad Scrub in turn led them to the Mad Scrubs' Hideout so they can join the gang. The rest of us will follow behind secretly. After our guys are inside yet before the gates are closed, we'll make our move."

The deku officers looked to their leader.

He nodded his agreement. "Your plan is our plan."

* * *

The Mad Scrub and three officers approached the final door. It was barred shut. The Mad Scrub knocked once, then twice, then three times. The bars raised up into the wall and the door opened.

As the four deku scrubs stepped into the first hallway, Misol and the deku officers, dressed in browns and blacks, silently swarmed in after them.

The gate slammed shut and the bars reemerged as soon as the last of them was inside.

Misol and the deku officers continued their attempted infiltration, but they soon discovered that they were trapped in a secondary maze, not the actual hideout.

There was a bright flash of light.

Once they could see again, the officers discovered that their treacherous guide was gone.

Mocking laughter came from above.

The one who had guided them into this trap said, "You were right, kokiri! I'm not a traitor to my brothers! I'm also not _stupid_ , contrary to what you believed! Go ahead and get comfortable! We'll decide what we'll do with you prisoners tomorrow."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Fasol and Link watched as the hideout's gate slammed shut.

"I knew it was a trap," Fasol mumbled.

"Since when?" Link asked.

"Since he knocked on the gate," Fasol answered. "When they took Dosol through there, they had knocked twice, then three times, then once. The one-two-three code must have been a signal that spies were involved."

Link felt amazed. "How do you remember all of these numbers and directions?"

"It's simple," Fasol replied. "Just look for patterns, or add meaning to it. For example, to remember the two-three-one code, we made up the saying, "Twenty-three is number one." That made it more memorable."

Link nodded with understanding, then asked, "So now what should we do?"

Fasol closed his eyes. "Dosol is with the other kokiri in a holding cell. Nothing much has happened to them. Misol is trapped in a mini-maze inside the fortress with the officers. Nothing much is happening there, either. And we are outside. The Mad Scrubs don't seem to have detected our presence yet."

Fasol then covered his ears and focused.

Link waited patiently.

Finally, Fasol opened his eyes and dropped his hands.

"We have a plan," Fasol stated. "But it might not work. Dosol is about to carry it out. If it fails, we may have to return to the Great Deku Tree and ask for his help."

* * *

After apprising the other kokiri of their plan, Dosol knocked on the cell door twice, then three times, then once.

The noise on the other side disappeared.

Again, Dosol knocked twice, thrice, and once.

Dosol pressed his ear against the door.

He heard a guard on the other side ask, "How does a kokiri know our secret code?"

Another guessed, "They probably just heard us use it at the gate. We'll need a new code after this."

"How irritating!"

"So annoying!"

Dosol yelled through the door, "Have you captured the law enforcers yet?"

Complete silence.

Dosol stated confidently, "Don't bother lying to me. I know you have."

There were cluttered sounds, and the cell door swung open for him.

The Mad Scrubs stepped back as he stepped out.

A deku man who seemed to be their boss asked, trembling, "You work for the Gerudo, don't you? Of course you do! Um... Do all of you...?"

Dosol didn't know of any Gerudo, but he decided to pretend he did. Dosol answered, "Just me, and my brother who led the law enforcers into your trap."

The deku man quickly ordered the guards to lock the cell door with the other kokiri still inside. Wiping sweat from the edges of his mask, he hesitated to ask, "Don't think me rude... but your master didn't mention anything about capturing law enforcers."

Dosol smirked and bluffed, "Of course he didn't. Why would he? After all, even though you're criminals, he didn't think you'd handle his takeover of the Deku District very kindly."

The deku men gaped, and rage ignited in their eyes. "Your master thought correctly! Our hatred is towards hylians, not our brother deku men! The only reason we took this job was for the pay, but no amount of money will persuade us to betray our own kind!"

Dosol made a puzzled expression. "That's not what you were saying when you captured those officers..."

The leader explained, "Those officers may not share our sense of pride for our species, but they do share our love for our people! We only captured them because they were a threat to our freedom!"

Dosol shrugged. "Either way, you've successfully rid the city of a significant portion of its defenders. My master intends to make his move tonight. You can either join him and share in the profits, or betray him and be subjugated with the rest of the deku people. The choice is yours. Payment or punishment?"

The deku men glowered. Their leader declared, "Oh, there will be punishment. But it won't be ours. You will bring a message to your master, and your brother's corpse will serve as a warning to all who insult the Mad Scrubs!"

* * *

The deku men cast Dosol out of the front gate and shouted, "Tell your master that the deal is off! And we'll never make deals with Gerudo scum ever again! He may approach the Deku District if he dares!"

After the gate closed, Fasol and Link ran to the abused kokiri.

In their arms, Dosol gave a thumbs-up. Then he passed out.

Fasol carried his brother to a dark corner of the maze and laid him down.

Suddenly, Fasol clenched his teeth in pain, and Dosol groaned in his sleep.

Link whispered, "What's wrong?!"

Fasol simply said, "You don't want to know."

The pain stopped soon enough for the brothers. They rested in silence, Link watching over them with his slingshot ready.

Noises from the Mad Scrubs' Hideout grew louder, and in a terrifying yet amazing moment, Mad Scrubs and deku officers ran side by side back to their district to defend it from invaders. They passed by the trio without seeing them.

Then the kokiri came shambling into view.

Link said, "Hey!"

A few of them jumped, but they were just so glad to be reunited that the initial scare was ignored.

All of the kokiri there huddled together for a while.

Solmi said, "Worst Autumn Festival ever."

Link asked, "Where's Misol?"

The other kokiri involuntarily cringed.

Fasol answered, "He's gone back home."

Sido shivered and said, "Just don't look at the hideout, okay?"

Saria said, "We should go back home, too."

No one argued with her.

* * *

Arriving back in the Kokiri Forest late that night, the exhausted kokiri were greeted by a very relieved Soldo and a surprisingly relieved Mido.

"Thank the Goddesses!" Soldo cried. "You've all returned to us!"

Mido gasped, "We thought for sure you had been kidnapped or something after that Gerudo king made that threat about you guys not returning and then none of you returned so we thought he had something terrible happen to you guys! But now you're all here, so... but I can tell something terrible _did_ happen to you! What happened?! What was it?! What did he do?! How did you escape?! ... _Where's Misol?!_ "

Dosol answered, "He's back in our home tree. He got killed today, so he doesn't want to respawn until tomorrow."

Mido was at a loss for words.

Link made short work of summarizing the day's events.

"A gang of deku men known as the Mad Scrubs kidnapped us because a Gerudo man paid them to. Misol, Fasol, and I escaped by fighting. With the help of deku officers, we tracked the Mad Scrubs back to their hideout and tried to trick them into letting us inside, but they captured the officers and Misol instead. Then the Know-It-All Brothers tricked the Mad Scrubs into thinking the Gerudo man tricked them into capturing the officers so he could take over the Deku District, so the Mad Scrubs released the officers and returned to the Deku District to protect it."

Soldo mused, "So Ganondorf _did_ try to keep you from returning home."

Fasol asked, "What happened here today?"

Soldo answered, "A Gerudo king named Ganondorf arrived at the forest gates and requested an audience with the Great Deku Tree. The Great Deku Tree accepted his request. During the conference, I sat to the Great Deku Tree's right, and Mido sat to his left. The Gerudo king came escorted by four female guards. They were required to remain at the meadow's entrance. Then... Ganondorf requested nothing other than for the Great Deku Tree to give him the Kokiri's Emerald!"

Apparently, Soldo had been expecting a reaction.

None was given.

Mido groaned. "Soldo, no one here knows what the significance of the Kokiri's Emerald is."

"Oh." Soldo deferred to Mido, "Should I tell them?"

Mido shrugged. "They might as well know."

Soldo took a deep breath and revealed, "The Kokiri's Emerald is more than just an heirloom. It is also a key."

Taking a second look at Mido, Link asked, "What's a key?"

Soldo paused, then admitted, "I don't know. The Great Deku Tree never did explain the concept to me. Regardless, the Kokiri's Emerald can enable one to access the most powerful magic in this world. And Ganondorf knew about it. It's been kept a strict secret, but somehow he knew about it."

Mido finished, "And he asked for it. And the Great Deku Tree refused to give it to him. Ganondorf was mad, saying he'll return another day. Then he said he had a feeling you guys wouldn't be home for dinner, or something like that."

Saria asked, "Did Ganondorf say when he'd be returning?"

Mido and Soldo both shook their heads.

Link said, "We might as well sleep tonight. If anything happens, the fairies can warn us. We need to keep ourselves rested as best we can. If this Gerudo king returns, we'll probably have to fight him."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Remi asked, "So you had a nightmare too?"

Mido ordered everyone, "If you had a nightmare last night, raise your hand."

Everyone raised a hand.

"No surprise," Misol muttered, "considering all we've gone through this past month." He rubbed his neck ruefully.

"And Link has probably seen the worst of it," Dosol noted. "What kind of nightmare did you have, Link? Was it some sort of twisted medley of it all?"

"Not really," Link answered. "I dreamed that I was standing before a giant stone wall, like in the Sacred Meadow, except not as old. There was this big wooden door that lowered down and became a bridge across a creek that ran directly in front of the wall. In my dream, there was rain and lightning, and the sky was black with clouds. A girl and a very tall person rode on a strange white creature across the bridge. They seemed to be in a hurry. Then a tall evil man rode the same sort of creature after them. His creature was black. He stopped next to me, and he didn't seem to notice me. I stood very still, hoping he wouldn't notice me, but he did, and I was so scared I woke up."

Fasol replied, "Hm. Strange dream. At least I can see the inspirations for mine. I dreamed that I was naked on stage in front of all those deku people, and I won the competition! Then they killed me."

In a sour tone, Mido stated, "My dream was completely uncalled for. I dreamed that Link used a slingshot and a rupee to kill me. And he didn't regret it at all."

Lado answered, "That isn't so random. It was probably inspired because Link won that slingshot at the festival yesterday."

Mido froze. "I didn't know he had won a slingshot."

Everyone stared at Link.

Link scowled and turned away. "It's just a coincidence! I don't have any rupees, so how could it come true?"

Sido added, "There aren't any rupees in storage, last I checked."

Fasol pondered, "Still, out of all the weapons you could have chosen at that game stand, you chose the slingshot. Why?"

Link tried to calm himself so he could politely answer. "I chose the slingshot because I liked the idea of being able to use anything small enough as a projectile, not just specially crafted arrows or such. I wanted to be able to pick any rock off of the ground and use it immediately and effectively."

Mido glared. "Who can say you won't just happen to find a rupee laying on the ground somewhere?"

Link spat, "Last time I checked, you were all too happy to let me kill you! You essentially _begged_ me to! _What's changed?!_ "

Mido shouted, " _I was testing you!_ I wanted to see how you'd handle _true_ stress! I wanted to see how far you'd be willing to go to defend others! And, boy, did you fail!"

Link screamed, " _Failed?!_ Because I spared your life?!"

"You failed because you didn't effectively neutralize the threat!" Mido clarified. "You didn't kill me when you had the chance!"

Link growled, "Even if I was willing to kill you, I knew that doing such would make no difference. You'd just come back angrier than before, and reconciliation would have been that much farther away!"

"That's where you're wrong!" Mido declared. "Me personally knowing what it feels like to die could have made a very significant difference!"

Link glared evenly at Mido. "Have you considered that perhaps I didn't kill you because I knew that you wanted me to? I'm a person, not a toy to be played with!"

Link turned upon the others. "And you all knew he was merely testing me, didn't you?!"

All of them denied it except Fado and Soldo.

Fado informed Link, "Only I, Soldo, and Mido knew that it was mostly an act."

Link arched an eyebrow. " _Mostly_ an act?"

Mido admitted, "The Tree of Evil was a power we shouldn't have meddled with. Other than that, it was all my idea."

Link said to Soldo, "Now I understand why you treated Mido with such high consideration last night. He's your boss. And I suppose all of those times Mido killed you that day...?"

Soldo sighed. "That was to acclimate you to the sight of gore."

Link shook his head. "What do you think I'll be doing that would require such training?!"

Mido couldn't hold it back any longer. " _We expect you to leave the forest!_ "

Link backed away a pace. After scanning all the faces around him, he barely whispered, " _Why?_ "

Mido groaned. "Isn't it obvious? Your destiny isn't here. You don't belong here! You're not even a real kokiri!"

A chilly wind began to blow and the sky seemed to darken. A few of the children noted the weather with growing anxiety.

Not noticing the drop in temperature, Link stated, "Of course I'm a kokiri. I'm not a deku man, or a kikwi, or a fairy. My home tree being dead doesn't make me any less kokiri than... than a deku man without legs makes him any less of a deku man."

Saria shook her head. "No, Link," she reinforced. Glancing at the thickening clouds above, she carefully chose her words. "You're not understanding yet. It... It doesn't work like that in this case."

Link growled, tears leaking from his eyes, "Even if I'm not a kokiri, that doesn't mean..."

His voice was choked up.

"That doesn't... mean... I can't stay...?"

Losing composure entirely, Link ran away from the kokiri and disappeared into the Lost Woods.

* * *

As Link approached the Sacred Meadow, he forced himself to slow to a walk. He had thought this would have been a safe place to take time to come to terms with his mutating reality, but something here was different today.

Something was not safe.

A giant grey wolf stepped into view. Its tongue hung loosely out of its mouth. Its uneven eyes glowed as strange green lights.

Upon seeing Link, it howled and charged at the boy.

Once again, Link wished he had brought his sword and shield.

Link ran back into the woods. The predator was close behind him. Jumping into a bush, Link tried to put as much underbrush between him and the wolf as he could. Looking back, he saw the wolf was using its long claws to tear through the branches at an alarming rate.

Link climbed up a tree as high as he could manage and sat still.

The wolf sniffed the air and leered up at Link with those glowing yellow-green eyes.

It began to climb.

Link tried to break a branch off the tree to use as a weapon, but every branch was either too sturdy to break or too fragile to use.

Link discovered that he still had his slingshot on him. He used it to shoot pieces of branch at the wolf. The wolf only became irritated. Link found that he also still had the leather pouch he won from the mask competition. Inside was a large quantity of gold coins. He loaded a coin and fired it at one of the wolf's eyes.

The wolf dropped to the ground, stunned and half-blinded, but still dangerous.

Link used his ocarina to call for help.

The wolf recovered and began climbing again.

Link shot it again and continued to call for help.

Giving up on climbing, the wolf began to claw at the tree's trunk, making deep gashes with each strike.

Now Link screamed for help as he tried to find a way to climb from his tree to another. Finding no safe way as the tree became increasingly unstable, he sat on a limb that gave him a clear shot at the wolf.

Reaching into the leather bag again, Link's fingers touched something that didn't feel like a coin. It was round with many flat edges. Looking into the pouch, Link learned it was a rupee.

Confident that the wolf wasn't Mido, Link loaded the rupee and fired. The wolf fell dead.

* * *

Peering from behind a tree, Link ascertained that Mido really was alive and safe in child form, not wolf form.

Deciding that he couldn't wait any longer, Link stepped into the clearing.

The Know-It-All Brothers announced that Link had returned. They gathered into a group in the distance, and they apparently decided it would be best if Saria spoke with Link alone, for she alone approached him while the others continued to watch from afar.

"I'm glad you're back, Link," she greeted as she approached.

"A wolf attacked me near the Sacred Meadow," Link said dully.

Saria gasped. "What?! A wolf attacked you?!"

Link stated, "I called for help as loud as I could. In the end, I had to kill it. It turns out... I did have a rupee. It was part of the reward the deku men gave me for my mask. I hope Mido wasn't playing another game with me by using some transformation magic, or else his dream just came true."

Saria glanced back at the group of Kokiri. "No, Mido was here the whole time." Her face was contorted into a mask of apology. "I'm so sorry, Link. I had even convinced the Brothers give you some privacy by not spying on you."

Link shrugged. "The Sacred Meadow still isn't safe. I heard more wolves inside the ruins. I came back to tell you that, and to get my things. You all don't want me here, so I don't want to be here. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Lost Woods."

Saria shook her head. "You misunderstand, Link! We do want you here! We just know that... one day... you'll have to leave..."

Link shrugged again. "I don't know what you're talking about. I can't tell if you're lying or not. I don't know if the wolf was part of your elaborate plot to prepare me for a dark and gory future. And I'm beginning to think it doesn't matter. I'll do as I believe is best, so people should learn to be careful around me. You've all been preparing me to become a warrior, and that's what I'm becoming. If you need my assistance, you may call my name. If you want _me_ , you'll have to search for me. And if you find me, I give no guarantee that I will be the same person you sought."

Saria closed her eyes sadly. "If that is the way it must be... Be safe."

Link walked past her. "By nature, warriors are not safe."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The warm stream that flowed into the Kokiri Forest first passed through the Lost Woods. As an autumn chill entered the night air, Link decided to set up camp at the source of the stream: a small cave in the side of a cliff. He left his skull mask and other possessions best kept dry beneath a bush near the entrance. Removing his boots, he waded inside. The cave air was warm and humid, yet the ceiling and walls remained relatively dry. At the very back of the cave, just beyond a surprisingly deep pool, Link laid down on the damp uneven floor and tried to sleep.

The next day, Link returned to the edge of the Kokiri Forest and listened. If the Gerudo had returned, he wanted to know of it.

Link gazed wistfully down upon the orchard as his stomach grumbled. He had yet to deign to ask the kokiri for anything from their harvest. If the Lost Woods grew any edibles, Link did not know of it. He had considered the idea of sneaking into the orchard during the night, but he quickly rejected the notion because it felt too much like stealing, even if he had taken part in its maintenance. He had to go back openly some day soon anyways. Even if it was just for an hour.

As he walked under the tangled roof of branches, Link spied a tree laden with fruit. Upon closer inspection, Link noted that each of the tree's large red fruit was almost entirely sheathed in dark leaves, leaving only a red almond-shaped area exposed, at the center of which was a black point.

Link decided to take a risk. Reaching up, he plucked one of the fruit from its branch and began to peel the dark leaves away, revealing more of the bright red surface.

A loud _THWACK_ startled Link, causing him to drop the fruit. Recognizing that someone had shot something at him, he quickly hid behind the fruit tree, drew his slingshot, and scanned his surroundings.

Seeing no movement, Link cautiously reached for another fruit to take with him.

The fruit he was reaching for exploded when another projectile embedded itself in its soft flesh.

Seeing movement in a nearby tree, Link aimed and fired a small rock at it. There was a startled cry, and a small figure fell out of the shaking branches. Link approached the fallen form with his sword half-drawn.

Hot magic flowed into Link's muscles, locking them in place, paralyzing him. Two fairies descended from the tree. The purple fairy used healing magic to aid the mysterious child in recovering from his fall. The yellow fairy kept Link bound stiff.

As the child with skin like wood sat up, he held his aching head, then jumped when he realized something was missing. All looked to the ground and saw a traditional deku mask lying there, cracked into pieces from the fall.

The child trembled with anger. He faced Link suddenly, revealing a beak mouth and glowing yellow eyes. He growled and shook the ground with the pounding of his feet. Seeing Link frozen in a pose with a half-drawn sword, the kid came to a terrible conclusion. In response, he pulled a flute out of his shirt, loaded a pebble into it, and aimed it at Link's neck.

Link couldn't do a thing.

Then the wooden child found he couldn't move either.

A blue fairy landed on Link's shoulder and enabled him to move again.

Link sighed with relief. "Thanks, Navi."

The yellow fairy was filled with anxiety as Link drew his sword completely. "Navi!? What are you doing?!"

Navi hovered before Link and motioned for him to sheathe his weapon once more. She faced the yellow fairy and said with fury in her voice, "I was about to ask you the same thing, Tatl. Imp was about to kill Link, and you weren't doing anything to stop him!" Addressing the wooden child himself, Navi scolded, "And just what is the state of your heart, Imp?! Are you so young that you have yet to learn the value of mercy?! Are you so feeble that you've lost the will to restrain yourself, or so old that you have forgotten what it means to seek understanding?! And you..." Navi focused on the purple fairy. "... Just what were you doing, Tael?"

Tael looked away and kneaded a blade of grass in his hands. "I don't know, it all just happened so fast..."

Tatl answered, "I'll tell you what I was doing. I was keeping the forest safe! You don't know what it's been like these past few days, Navi, with you always being in the safety of the Great Deku Tree's inner ring, but it's been a battlefield out here for us! So when this guy comes waltzing up to Imp with a sword, I could only assume-"

"And when your friend there shot rocks at me earlier," Link interrupted and pointed at the wooden child who was still paralyzed, "I could only assume!"

"That's because he was trying to stop you from poisoning yourself!" Tatl contested. "Imp was just trying to save you from impending misery! How can you grow up in the forest and not know Vaati's Revenge when you see it?!"

"Vaati's Revenge?" Link repeated. "Is that the name of that red fruit?"

Tatl just stared at him. Tael cheerfully answered, "Yeah! Vaati's Revenge is a round red fruit that resembles an eye! If ingested, it causes nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, and diarrhea! Such effects may last up to three whole days!"

Tatl scowled. "I told Imp not to give away his presence, but he has such a kind heart, he couldn't allow you to experience what he experienced. So he shot at the fruit, and then you shot at him!"

"From what I witnessed," Navi explained, "Imp, as you call him, shot the fruit out of Link's hand. Wouldn't you call that a threatening gesture? It was as though Imp was aiming at Link, but missed, and the fruit was hit instead."

The yellow fairy's fury subsided. "Yeah, I understand and all... I probably should have warned your boy myself..."

Tatl glanced at the wooden child, still stuck in an attacker's pose. "So are you going to release him or not, Navi?"

Link stepped out of Imp's line of fire, and Navi dissolved the spell. Imp growled and quickly directed his aim towards Link again. He cowered when Navi suddenly snatched his instrument away and glared at him. He jumped up into a tree, glanced back once, then disappeared.

Tatl huffed and her light dimmed almost completely as she forcefully reclaimed the flute and declared with utmost sarcasm, "It's always a pleasure, Navi." Then she flew upward as if to follow Imp, but then she stopped and looked back. "Are you coming or what, Tael?"

The purple fairy replied with worried hesitation, "Oh, sure, Sis."

As his sister darted away, Tael paused one more time and said to Link, "It was nice to meet you, ... um..."

"Link," Link finished the introduction. "It was nice to meet you as well, Tael."

Tael nodded appreciatively. "Yeah, I'm sorry about Tatl and Imp. They aren't usually impatient like this."

Tatl called from a distance, "TAEL, COME ON ALREADY!"

Tael yelled back, "I'M COMING!" With a awkward pause, he said, "Well... See ya, Link. Bye, Navi."

Link quickly said, "Just wait a moment!" He picked up the broken deku mask and inspected its structural failures. "Imp probably won't be allowed to go into any deku towns without a mask. I actually have a mask..."

Navi shook her head. "No, Link, you put too much time and care into that mask. Imp can make another one. You can atone for his loss with coins, or something else, but don't give him that mask."

Tatl came back into view. "So... you're saying you're willing to pay for a replacement mask for Imp?"

Link nodded.

Tatl seemed puzzled. "No one's ever freely offered to do such for us before..." Then she crossed her arms and declared, "But it's your fault he lost his mask in the first place, so you're only doing your moral duty! Nothing special! You're just not as bad as you would've been otherwise!"

Challenged, Link said, "Well, perhaps I _shall_ give him my mask!"

Before Navi could protest, Tatl was already impatiently saying, "No, you can keep your fancy mask. Just give us proper repayment for the one you broke, and we'll be on our way."

Link frowned. "Fine. How much was it worth?"

"Ten rupees," Tatl stated.

"Ten rupees?" Navi scoffed. "A mask like that couldn't have cost more than five iron coins!"

"It had sentimental worth!" Tatl contended.

Navi rebutted, "It couldn't have been that important to him, considering the way he just abandoned it!"

Tatl grumbled and conceded, "Okay, whatever! One rupee!"

Link expressed a concern. "If Imp won't be allowed to enter town without a mask, how will he be able to buy a mask?"

Tatl spat, "He'll put a bag over his head or something, I don't know! What's it to you, anyways?!"

"What's the matter, Tatl?" Navi asked innocently. "Is kindness a foreign concept to you?"

"What kindness?" Tatl scowled. "He's just gloating that we won't be able to buy a mask even if we get the money. But I'll tell you, kid, that-"

"No, that's not it at all!" Link declared. "I'm offering to let Imp wear my special mask until we can get a new mask for him!"

Tatl was speechless for a moment.

Imp peaked down upon the conversation silently and secretly from the branches above.

Tael answered aloud, "I like that plan, and I like you too!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Link removed the skull mask from beneath the bush, and within the span of a few seconds, Imp had jumped down from a tree, snatched the mask out of Link's grasp, and had fastened it on. Imp shuffled over to the creek and tried to find his reflection in it. Not satisfied with the distorted image, he turned to Tatl and Tael and asked, "What does it look like on me? Does it make me look tougher?"

Tael shuddered. "It makes you look scary!"

Tatl shrugged. "Eh, it looks alright."

Imp laughed and jumped around. "Heh heh! I like it! It's so unusual!"

Navi frowned and stated firmly, "Remember, you're only borrowing it, so be careful with it."

Skull Kid's dancing came to an awkward halt.

Tatl rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop being so cold, Navi. Let him enjoy it while he has it! And why bother to go all the way to the Deku District when you can just say the mask is his and be done with the matter? He really likes it. It would be such a nice thing to do..."

Navi crossed her arms and faced Link. "Link, it is your mask. What is your decision?"

Link lightly bit his lip. "It is a memorial mask, so it isn't really suited for everyday use."

Imp felt the mask's edges. "A memorial mask? For whom?"

"For the warrior spirit," Link answered grimly.

"Oh?" Imp was puzzled. "Which one?"

Link stuttered, "Which- Which one? You mean... Are you saying there's more than one?"

Imp laughed, "Of course, silly kokiri! There's been several! Now I bet this mask was made for old Bone-Face. He's been around for the longest time! Never was any fun to play with... Now Wolf-Face knew how to have fun! I could play with him for days! But then _he_ got all depressed-"

Link interrupted, "Wait. If you knew the skeleton warrior, do you know what happened to him? Do you know if he's still alive?"

" _Alive?_ " Imp giggled. "He's been dead for centuries!"

"You know what I mean," Link growled humorlessly.

Imp huffed and stared at the ground. "So you take after him, huh? Yeah, he's gone. Just like everyone else."

Link sharply inhaled. Navi closed her eyes.

Imp leaned in close and whispered in Link's ear, "So... Would you like to avenge him?"

"Avenge him?" Link repeated, voice beginning to tremble. "I already did! I killed the skeleton who-"

"No, no, no!" Imp jumped around with what could only be glee. "One skeleton couldn't have done it alone! There's others! Many others! Let's go hunt them! Hunt them all down and make them pay!"

Temporarily dismissing Imp's antics, Navi confirmed, "That evil skeleton did say we, not I."

"So how about it?" Imp prodded. "You in?" Link could sense a savage grin beneath the skull mask.

"Link," Navi reminded, "You know what the Great Deku Tree says about vengeance."

Link donned a dark expression, and a smirk creeped upon his own face. "Would you also remind me that the ruins are forbidden, Navi? No more arbitrary rules. I am a warrior now. I'll rid this world of evil, no matter what it takes."

Imp leaped with joy as the expected words came out of Link's mouth.

"Let's go."

* * *

As Tael healed Link's wounds, Imp lounged on the broken throne that the Tree of Evil had sprouted from. He kicked his feet up over the armrest and surveyed the bones that littered the floor with great contentment. "Too bad Navi decided to skip out. Nothing beats killing with friends!"

Link scowled. "It's not mere killing. It's justice and ridding the world of evil." Imp didn't reply. Link smirked and added, "But there is nothing quite like it."

Imp leaped from the throne and danced about the room, kicking bones around, still filled with energy. "So what's next? Wolfos? Skulltulas?"

Link flexed his mended arm. "Next is a visit to the Deku District to get you a new mask."

Imp fell flat on his back, sending a couple of ribs flying. "AWW! But this mask is so awesome! It's so intimidating! I could be called "Skull Kid." It's what that one skeleton called me. And I-"

"I'm sorry," Link interrupted, "but it's a memorial mask. You're just going to have to either make or buy a skull mask for yourself."

Imp made an angry noise. "Well, can we stay here for a while longer? I'm kinda tired after that long battle."

Tael said, "But it's impossible for you to get tired!"

Imp slapped himself.

Tatl offered, "But of course Link needs time to rest. After all, this place is safe now, and one should take time to revel on a field of victory. Imp, how about a song?"

Imp sat up and pulled his flute out from his shirt. Then he removed the mask and put the instrument up to his mouth.

Link, confused, averted his eyes, but glanced back once. "I thought you believed showing your face would be indecent!"

Imp scoffed. "That's what the deku scrubs believe. I am no deku scrub."

Link argued, "First of all, don't call them scrubs. That's rude. Second, you are, in fact, a deku. I know what deku people look like beneath their masks."

Imp groaned. "Then why make a big fuss out of it? You've seen my face, and I've seen your face. And we're not even around any dekus. And since we're friends, I'm letting you know that I am not a deku. I was merely turned into one a long time ago."

Link began, "Then what are you-" but Imp decidedly lost himself in a melody.

Link frowned and muttered to Tael, "Does he even need a new mask?"

Tael replied, "If he wants to enter the Deku District, yes."

Link sat back and exhaled in exasperation. "This one's full of surprises."

As Imp's song came to an end, Link took out his ocarina, held it to his lips, and sent Imp a challenging glare, one eyebrow raised.

Imp returned the expression.

Link stood to his feet as he played the first line of notes.

Imp copied him.

Link played another line, steadily tapping his feet to the music.

Imp did the same.

Link played the first and second lines again, and continued into a third.

Imp tried to do the same, but messed up a few notes, got frustrated with trying to remember the next part, then played something else entirely shamelessly.

Link copied what Imp played.

Imp played another line.

Link repeated it without error.

Imp played a mess of random notes.

Link played the notes one by one, slowly but accurately.

Link grinned.

A growl rose in Imp's throat. He stomped and danced as he played a the most complicated song that he knew by heart. Link listened for a bit, then turned the song into a duet.

Imp suddenly changed the song. Link quickly adjusted. Imp began improvising. Link improvised to match.

Imp took several deep breaths, now showing a huge smile, and charged into music again.

The two boys both challenged and aided each other in the dizzying melodies they created, and to make the game even more challenging, they began to dance as they played. They were almost bouncing off the walls when Link transitioned into Saria's Song.

Imp stopped playing. Link stopped and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Imp shook his head. "No, I'm okay. I just... I've always loved that song, but for some reason, I've never been able to figure out the notes."

Link looked at his ocarina. "Well, that was Saria's Song, and Saria did say that she only teaches it to her friends, so perhaps Saria has to teach it to you."

Imp frowned. "No, I want you to teach it to me. I can understand your ocarina just fine."

Link hesitated. "But it is Saria's song."

Imp crossed his arms and turned his back to Link. "Saria doesn't like me, okay?! She'll never make me her friend, so she'll never teach me the song!"

Link lowered the ocarina. "What could you have possibly done to make Saria not like you?"

Imp tensed his shoulders. "I didn't do anything! I don't know! I just-! I- Please! Just teach me the song! I won't let you regret it."

Link fingered his instrument, brought it to his mouth, and played the first six notes.

Imp, who had played so skillfully earlier, struggled to find the right first note. Link played the note, and Imp took a few attempts to find it.

Link managed to teach Imp the first sixteen notes, but felt too much guilt to continue the lesson. "I'm sorry," he said. "That's as far as I go."

Imp smiled sadly. "Well... thanks. That's more than anyone else has taught me."

Link looked towards the exit. "It is Saria's song. I don't know what happened between you two in the past... but I hope it gets remedied one day. We've kept Navi waiting too long, don't you agree?"

Imp nodded. He donned the skull mask again, and they all left the room.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Outside, the sky was clouding up as it always did at twilight. The nightly fog wouldn't vanish until noon of the next day.

As Link and Imp stepped out under the orange glow, Navi looked up from her seat on a nearby tree stump and saw them.

Tatl whispered, "Here comes a lecture."

After assessing Link's physical condition, making sure he didn't have any injuries, Navi said, "Link, I've been thinking... It's okay for you to fight monsters... to go where no one else should... because that's what you've been called to do."

Imp stretched and said, "Sheesh, Navi! Do you have to make it sound so boring?"

Navi frowned at Imp and continued to address Link. "I don't know what to think about you taking vengeance into your own hands, but I want you to promise that you won't enjoy killing."

Link blinked. "I don't-"

Imp sputtered, "What kind of a sick request is that?! He's the chosen hero! Killing is what he does, and you don't want him to enjoy it?!"

Navi scowled. "Of course I don't want him to enjoy it! That'd be wrong! It'd poison his soul!"

Imp shrugged dramatically. "Hey! While you're at it, why don't you ask him to not enjoy eating?"

"That's not nearly the same sort of thing!" Navi growled.

"It is to a hero," Imp countered.

Link interrupted, "Neither of you understand me. I only kill to eliminate threats. I eliminate threats because I care about the people in this world. That is all. Any other sensation, or emotion, or policy... It's just a temporary aesthetic."

Navi narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Link crossed his arms. "I can enjoy a good fight, then dismiss it as a means to an end afterwards. I can abide by the Great Deku Tree's laws, then not abide by them if the need arises. All for the greatest good I can manage."

Imp tapped the mask he wore. "So you switch out hearts like masks? That's amazing!"

"Not amazing," Navi scolded. "Disturbing. It's not fitting for a hero to be so emotionally inconsistent."

"I'll consider that," Link said quickly. "But right now, I smell smoke."

Imp and Navi sniffed the air, and Tatl and Tael flew up high to look around. Coming back down, the fairy siblings were alarmed.

"There's a big fire to the east!" Tael reported. "We saw the glow of it in the clouds!"

"It looks like it's in the Deku District!" Tatl lamented.

Navi was stunned speechless.

Imp shook with rage. "Dekus aren't fireproof. This is all that cursed Gerudo's doing! Every time, it's always him! New body, same demon!"

Link began running. "Let's see what we can do!"

"Stop!" Navi yelled. "You're not ready!"

Link kept running. The others had no choice but to follow.

* * *

Heat radiated through the woods. Black smoke blended into grey clouds, both of which were painted orange by the light of the inferno. Lightning was striking incessantly ahead, ensuring constant rumbling in sky and earth.

As the group of five entered through the front gates of the Deku District, they were met with an unforgettable sight.

Amidst the flames and the smoke and the lightning and an unnatural darkness, a black horse galloped by. Riding the horse was a tall man in black armor. His eyes gleamed yellow, and his grin was broad and unashamed.

None of them moved until he was out of sight.

Link held his head. "That was him! He was in my dream!"

"That's Ganondorf, the Gerudo I spoke of," Imp said coldly. "It's your destiny to kill him. Again."

Link struggled to stay on his feet. He took deep breaths, looking towards the corner that his archenemy disappeared around. Shaking his head, he stared at the ground ahead of him. It didn't seem to be swaying so much.

Then he noticed the bodies. Burning ruins of what were once people he knew.

"If it's my destiny to kill him," Link rasped, coughing out smoke. "Then what am I waiting for?"

Link ran after the Gerudo, dodging large fires and piles of rubble.

Rounding the corner, he slammed into someone tall.

Tall and metallic.

A man made of pure black crystal turned around. He stroked his white hair and glared with plain white eyes.

"What do we have here? Could it be the Goddesses' chosen hero? So soon?"

The man leaned down, analyzed the boy in green, and laughed.

"A little too soon, it appears! Why, you're still just an infant!"

Link lashed out with his sword. It clinked off of the man's skin, not even leaving a scratch.

"Ooh, so cute," the man mocked. "Hm, I wonder if the Goddesses would get mad at me if I buy my master another decade or two..."

The crystalline man stuck out his tongue, grabbed it, and pulled it out of his mouth, drawing a long blade out behind it. Link shied away from the tongue-sword, tripped on a stone and fell on his back.

The man tried to say something, but nothing could be heard without his tongue. Regardless, the expression on his face was enough, and the sword was raised high.

Link winced behind his shield.

There was no impact.

Link peaked over the shield's rim.

"Navi!"

The stranger struggled against Navi's magic barrier. He bashed it again and again with his sword, noiselessly mouthing curses.

"You've got to get out of here, Link!" Navi commanded. "You're not ready yet!"

Link nodded and leaped to his feet. Ducking as Navi's barrier cracked, he ran back towards the town's entrance.

Suddenly, the man- no, the demon appeared before him.

Another wordless jeer accompanied his swiftly falling blade.

Link sidestepped the attack and blocked a sideward stroke with his shield. Another attack came, then another, and suddenly the demon was gone. Link turned around and parried the attack from behind. The demon gnashed his teeth and teleported just as Navi was about to bind him again. Link and Navi looked around for him, but he didn't reappear.

Still wary, Navi said, "Let's get you out of here. You're no good to the world dead."

Imp suddenly landed next to them. "No way! Link can take them! He's the chosen hero! There's no way he'll die!"

Navi shook her head. "You don't know that!"

"I do know it!" Imp snapped. "I've seen it time and time again! The chosen hero always wins!"

"He's not them!" Navi argued. "And they were all older than he is now! And they all had long adventures first!"

"It can't be the same story every time!" Imp growled. "If he doesn't kill Ganondorf tonight, Hyrule will pay in blood!"

Navi and Imp both noticed Link pale visibly. They turned and saw an army of monsters and demons coming down the road towards them, the crystalline demon leading the way.

"Look there!" Imp pointed to the rear of the army. "There's Ganondorf! All we have to do is kill him, and this whole nightmare will be stopped!"

Link declared, "No time for arguing. I'm ready."

"We're with you all the way!" Tael said as he and his sister joined them.

"I'm with you too," Navi promised. "To the very end!"

Link nodded, and they all charged towards the demon horde.


End file.
